A Monstrous Image
by ArticulateFiction
Summary: When Ron is accused of being a Death Eater in 6th year, it threatens to destroy his budding romance with Hermione and friendship with Harry. How will this effect their horcrux plans? Rating may change. Lots of Fluff/Drama! Some Harry/Ginny.
1. Chapter 1

**Story: A Monstrous Image**

**Rating: T for now, may become M later on**

**Genre: Romance/Angst**

**Characters: Ron/Hermione, some Harry/Ginny**

**Time-frame: Takes place starting after ron/Lavender break-up in their 6****th**** year during Half-Blood Prince, finishes whenever I decide to end it. Will probably continue somewhat into Deathly Hallows.**

**Summary: Ron and Hermione seem to finally be moving along the right track to a healthy relationship, but when Ron is accused of being a Death Eater, it threatens to destroy his budding romance with Hermione and his friendship with Harry. Possible change of rating later on. Main focus on Ron/Hermione, some Harry/Ginny. During 6****th**** year and beyond. My first FanFic. :)**

**Author's Notes:**

**So, this is my first Fanfic, and as of right now I do not have any Beta readers to go through the chapters before I post them, so please go easy on me :)! I would appreciate feedback and suggestions! I am Canadian, so I can't guarantee the language will always be very British, but I shall try my best!**

**The story switches between the different character's views, and if I have done my job right you should know whose view it is in each section! The rating right now is a T for language and romance purposes, but I really haven't decided if I am going to add any smut or anything. It's possible, so for now I will say the rating MAY change. **

**Lastly, I'd like to mention that I am a full-time student in college right now doing 25 hours of class per week, and I'm also working 25 hours a week. If it ever gets to a point when I am too busy, you may find I might take longer to update the story. However, I have prepared in advance and am currently already writing chapter 6, so if I put out one chapter (I'll try for every Tuesday?), it shouldn't affect the posting too much since I'm ahead right now. Hopefully I won't have too many issues since I am fortunate enough to be working from home. I am actually working right now as I write this! :)**

**Enjoy! (I hope…)**

**PS: I obviously do not own any of the Harry Potter characters/concepts, they are all from the wonderful mind of J.K. Rowling!**

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Chapter 1:

It was the start of another day at Hogwarts as Ron and Hermione were sitting in Charms class waiting for it to commence. Harry had yet to arrive to class, and they were feeling especially awkward sitting in the uncomfortable silence together.

It was the morning after Lavender had witnessed a seemingly alone Ron and Hermione leaving the dorms together and had decided to end things with Ron. He was not taking it hard at all and was in fact quite relieved to have been out of that "relationship" with Lavender, but Hermione was unsure if she should make any effort to comfort him about the break-up. She wasn't sure how hurt he was from the split, but considering the way he had complained about Lavender's clinginess for the past couple weeks she imagined he wasn't bothered a whole lot by the recent turn of events. She decided not to mention it, even though it meant prolonging the awkward silence until Harry arrived.

Although they had been on relatively good terms since Ron had been poisoned and they agreed to stop their fighting, it was still hard to be alone together without Harry. They hadn't really spoken about why they had been fighting to begin with. They were both painfully aware that there was some thick tension between them, something unexplainable, which had recently appeared this year and hadn't seemed to have gone away.

The fact that Lavender was sitting at a table on the other side of the classroom glaring at them with some of the saddest, reddest, puffiest eyes possible was only increasing the awkwardness tenfold.

After a couple of minutes of trying to avoid her sad eyes, Hermione, despite her obvious dislike for the girl, found herself feeling pity towards Lavender. There's no doubt that she seemed to have a dependent need to have Ron around every day, a feeling that she herself understood, and she was obviously taking the break-up much harder than Ron ever would. Hermione quickly glanced at Ron beside her as he kept his eyes down and out of the line of fire of Lavender's stare, clearly feeling very guilty about the whole situation. She immediately recognized the expression he had on his face; it was the same one she had seen on him a half-million times while being scolded by his mother for doing something wrong. She found her pity shifting from Lavender to him. Maybe he did need someone to talk to? He may not be heart-broken over it, but maybe he still needed to talk about his other feelings about breaking it off.

She decided her responsibility as his friend was more important than the silliness they had been keeping up and that she'd just dive right into it. She gently placed her right hand on top of his left shoulder, causing his head to suddenly shoot-up as he came from staring at his desk to looking at Hermione with a surprised and quizzical look on his face.

"Ron, did you want to…err…talk abou-"

"Guys, you'll never believe what happened last night with Slughorn!" a familiar voice quickly half-whispered, only inches from Ron's other side, as Hermione jumped mid-sentence and quickly took her hand off Ron's shoulder. Ron whipped his head to his right to see Harry with a determined look on his face.

"Oh, sorry, didn't mean to interrupt your Hermione," he quickly apologized.

"No, it's fine, nothing I can't finish later," she responded as she quickly looked at Ron and gave him an apologetic smile. She was surprised to see what she thought to be a little bit of disappointment in his facial expression, but continued anyways. "So go on then, what happened?"

As he explained the events of the night before, getting a hold of Slughorn's memory and then Dumbledore explaining horcruxes to him, Hermione had forgotten all about consoling Ron and was hanging off Harry's every word. She was quite impressed with Harry's sleuth-like ability in obtaining that memory after Slughorn had been so unwilling to give it up.

When he had finished telling his story, her and Harry both looked at Ron and realized that he didn't look nearly as interested in the news as they were. He was playing with his wand in his hand and was making it snow in the classroom from above them without even realizing he was doing it. Hermione touched his arm and pointed out what he was doing, and he apologized and meekly brushed the snow off of her shoulder for her as they both avoided each other's eyes. Harry noticed that Lavender was suddenly crying while simultaneously staring daggers in Ron's direction, and Ron explained that they had split-up last night and why. Hermione also made a point to add that Ginny had split from Dean as well, something she knew would help cheer up Harry and give him something else to think about besides the pressure of Dumbledore's little missions, and horcruxes, and what-not.

Throughout the rest of the class Hermione had tried to put all of her focus on their professor, but every now and then she would catch Lavender staring at her with a mixture of despair and hatred. She was never really friends with the girl, but still began to feel horrible because she knew that Lavender blamed her for "stealing Ron away from her". In reality, her and Ron's relationship was still just that of two friends.

Although Lavender's assumption of her and Ron being alone last night was understandable since Harry had been under the invisible cloak, it still had Hermione pondering why Lavender would even be jealous of her and Ron being alone together anyways. Everyone who had been at Hogwarts long enough had to have known that she and Ron had been friends for years, and nothing more, right? So why was it suddenly an issue for her to be alone with Ron?

She started questioning if maybe she had been giving off some accidental signals that tipped people off to how she really felt about him. Deep down, Hermione knew that she had been infatuated with Ron for a few years now. She'd tried to convince herself otherwise, but she always found herself thinking of him, wanting to be with him, and the feelings had only gotten stronger as the years had gone one. She had now this year come to accept that her feelings for Ron were more romantic than friendly, but the only person she had confided in about it was Harry. She'd like to believe that Harry wouldn't go spreading around her secrets; he was far too loyal of a friend and too good-hearted of a person to do such a thing. If people were questioning her and Ron's relationship, maybe she had made it too obvious or flirted too much, or done _something_ this year to have sparked these rumors.

She and Ron had only recently begun talking to each other again, and she didn't want to mess things up by having him think that she had any sort of non-platonic feelings for him. There was a time earlier in the year where she thought maybe he might have had a bit of a thing for her as well, but since he started dating Lavender after she had invited him to Slughorn's Christmas party she was certain he was only interested in being her friend. She now had to worry about avoiding ruining their friendship that had already taken quite a big hit this year. She had to stop giving off these signals she wasn't even aware she was giving off. She was Hermione Granger, for Merlin's sake! She couldn't keep letting herself get so mental over some stupid boy. She was above these obsessive feelings, and she didn't want them interfering with her mood _or_ he life anymore.

After class had finished, Hermione, Ron and Harry began walking back to the Gryffindor common room together. Ron was starting to feel better about having broken things off with Lavender and realized he was free from her grasp.

"Well that was bloody awkward. I know she's a bit daft but she had to have seen this coming, I don't know why she's taking it so hard. And staring at me like that, trying to make me feel bad. Bloody hell, that better not keep up…."

"Cheer up, mate! You're a free man now, no more dealing with that horrible nick-name," Harry teased with a mischievous smirk. "And on the plus side, your sister's not with that arse anymore either."

"I guess so, but I don't see why the Ginny thing would cheer me up. Just means she'll be getting more attention from the other guys now." Harry's smirk suddenly disappeared and he looked deep in thought. "But I am happy to be done with Lavender, and even happier to be leaving that class room to get away from her in that mood," he said with a snort.

Hermione herself was also happy to be able to walk down the hallway without having to worry about seeing Ron and Lavender snogging between classes. She looked over at Harry who was still deep in thought and wondered what he could be thinking about that had him so quiet. She then noticed a small smile briefly appear on his face before he noticed that she had been watching him and it quickly reverted back to a neutral line. She smiled to herself as she had no doubt that he was thinking about Ginny, but she didn't want to embarrass him by confronting him about it in front of Ron.

Once they reached the portrait hole to the common room Harry said the password. He stepped through the hole, but before Hermione could follow him she felt Ron gently pull on her wrist to hold her back as he told Harry that they would be inside in a couple minutes. He let go of her wrist and she turned to face him, a confused look drawn on her face.

"Sorry… but do you mind if we, err… talk about, you know… that thing you wanted to talk about before in class?", he asked her with an embarrassed look on his face as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other and lifted his hand up out of his pocket to rub the back of his neck.

Hermione still looked confused, but mostly because she was surprised that Ron wanted to talk to her about his feelings about having broken up with Lavender. Usually he kept these things bottled up and stayed quiet unless he was provoked by her or Harry. Still, she wanted to show her support in an effort to help repair their friendship.

"Oh. Sure… of course. I'm actually surprised that you're bringing it up to me instead of the other way around, you must be hurting more than I thought," she replied quietly, trying to sound as supportive as possible. She wanted him to be as comfortable as possible talking to her alone like this; it was something she missed.

"Oh... err yeah, I guess you could say I've been err… hurting. And I thought I'd bring it up since you were going to first in class. I just, you know… miss it, I guess, is all. And to be honest, I'm not entirely sure why it happened to begin with… I was hoping maybe you could shed some light on that for me." He stopped rubbing his neck, crossed his arms, and leaned against the wall beside the portrait. He looked very nervous and was doing everything to avoid looking at Hermione's face dead-on.

Hermione felt her heart start to sink. She didn't realize that he had still had feelings for Lavender, and now he was questioning why they even broke-up to begin with. She felt her jealousy start to eat away at her insides just like it had done when she saw them snogging in the halls, but she missed his friendship and presence too much to let it get the best of her this time. She had to keep calm and give whatever advice she felt a good friend would without letting it show that she hated the idea of them getting back together.

"Oh… I see. So that bit on the walk over here was you trying to hide your true feelings I suppose…" she trailed off. "Well, when she saw us come down together last night she clearly though that, err… something was going on between us, if you know what I mean. And that upset her, so I'm guessing that's why she broke it off. But, if you miss it, maybe you should explain to her that we were working on a project of something and apologize if it upset her." She looked down at her the ground, trying not to let him see the disappointment on her face. "That's the best advice I can give, unfortunately."

There. She had given him advice. Some genuine, helpful advice that would help him with his girlfriend troubles. As much as it had pained her to do it she knew that he couldn't accuse her of being jealous of Lavender now and he would hopefully appreciate her help enough to get them back on track to being close friends like they once were. At least she would still be able to see him and talk to him on a regular basis, even if he was with somebody else. She looked at his face and tried to force a consoling smile on her own so he'd think she was being genuine, but when she saw his expression in return she was worried he wasn't buying it. His eyes narrowed at her and he looked beyond baffled, almost a little frustrated.

"Hermione… what in Merlin's name are you talking about?" he asked in a questioning tone. He was now looking at her straight-on with the same confused expression.

Hermione, completely taken aback by his reaction, suddenly felt very hurt. So her advice wasn't good enough then?

She heaved a loud sigh. "I was just trying to give you some advice to help you out, Ron!" she snapped while pointing her finger at him and putting her other hand firmly on her hip. "There's no need to be rude! If it's really that terrible of an idea the least you could have done is thanked me and gone to ask someone else, honestly!" She winced at the tone of her voice as she suddenly remembered how she had vowed to herself not to let this boy and her feelings for him interfere with her mood or her life anymore. And so much for not letting her jealousy get the best of her…

"Oi, calm down Hermione!" Ron pushed himself off the wall and firmly but gently gripped the finger she had pointed at him with his right fist to bring it back down to her side for her. She pulled her hand back and crossed her arms. "That's not what I meant. I'm just curious as to why you're talking about Lavender. That's not what I was talking about at all!"

Hermione felt bad for snapping. She didn't want to start rowing with him again so she softened her facial expression and lowered her voice.

"Well, I was just confused because you asked if we could talk about what I was going to mention in Charms class. Lavender _is_ what I was intending on talking about, I just wanted to make sure you were okay after what happened."

"Oh… yeah I'm over it… but no, that isn't what I was talking about," he said as his voice lowered and he began leaning against the wall again, rubbing his neck with his hand. A look of embarrassment was starting to creep back onto his face as it started to turn red.

Hermione thought back to what was said; he had mentioned missing "it" and not knowing why "it" had happened. What else could he have been talking about? What was "it"?

"Well what was it that you wanted to talk about then? I assumed we were on the same page when you mentioned missing something and not knowing why it happened… so what is it then?" she asked with a curious tone to her voice and a furrowed brow.

The redness in Ron's face suddenly increased in hue as he began rubbing the back of his neck for a third time in a matter of minutes. Hermione knew him well enough to know that he did that when he felt awkward or embarrassed, and it only increased her curiosity. He re-adjusted himself against the wall as his hands were fidgeting in and out of his pockets and his eyes were darting around the room.

"I…err… I… well what I thought when you said you wanted to talk was, you know… talk about, err… well we had a spot there for a while where we weren't… well we weren't not friends but we, you know… weren't talking and stuff. I'm pretty sure you were, you know… mad at me. I'm pretty sure. And… yeah. I err… just didn't like it is all, I guess. That's what I meant when I said I missed it. D'you know what I'm talking about?"

His face was the brightest shade of red Hermione had ever seen on him, a worthy opponent to the colour of his hair. She really was hoping that they could have avoided this conversation and just have their friendship fall back into place on its own, but she knew how hard it was for him to confess that he had missed her friendship and she felt she needed to return the favour and try to explain to him that she missed his as well, without having to admit why she had been upset with him to begin with.

"I think I do, yes." She began to look around trying not to make eye contact. She wanted him to know that she wanted to be friends again, but she also wanted this conversation to end before it got too far into her feelings of jealousy. "Listen, Ron… I know we "had a spot there", as you put it, but I just want to put it behind us and forget about it. I want to be back to where we were, I miss it too… okay?"

"Well, that's what I want too, but I'd still like to know why you were mad to begin with. I clearly did something to upset you and I'd like to, you know, avoid it from happening again if possible." He gave her a small, lopsided smile and seemed less nervous than he had a minute ago.

Hermione looked him in the eye. She needed to come up with something, and quick. "Honestly, Ron, it's a little… err… complicated. I was mad because… well because Harry had been focusing all his time on Draco and deatheaters, and then you were… well occupied, shall we say?... with Lavender, and I felt like you weren't even attempting to make time for me anymore. I mean I know I can't force you to hang out with me, but we've been friends for years and you just started ignoring me for her. I was upset. I know it's not the best excuse, and it seems silly to me now, maybe even a bit selfish, but that's pretty much why." It wasn't exactly a lie, but it was definitely not the full truth.

Ron looked dumbfounded as he stared back at her. He clearly didn't know how to respond to her strange excuse.

"Okay. So… I can't have any more girlfriends? Is that what you're saying?" He looked so confused and Hermione wished she could explain herself, but she thought it would only make things worse.

"Well no," she replied, "but just don't ignore me all together for them. That's all. It's not a big deal really; I'd just like to move past it if we could." She smiled weakly at him in hopes that her pleading would cause him to end the conversation.

Ron's confused look transformed into a slight smile, and he nodded his head. "Yeah, okay. Well, I guess I'm… err… sorry. I'm sorry for making you feel that way and I'll try not to let it happen again. I want to get past this too."

Hermione smiled back at him and nodded in agreement. If there was one thing that Ron hated doing, it was apologizing. She knew he was being sincere. "I'm sorry as well, Ron, I shouldn't have reacted so poorly and should have just talked to you about it." He smiled again and nodded back at her.

"Right then, glad we talked about it!" she said cheerily. She then went to move back to the portrait hole, but felt a gentle tugging at her wrist again. She looked back behind her to see Ron holding her back again and rubbing the back of his neck with his other hand as he smiled sheepishly.

"Shouldn't we… you know…," he said while clearing his throat as he let go of her wrist and awkwardly outstretched his arms to motion a hug.

"Oh," Hermione laughed as she starting biting her bottom lip, "yes, of course." She stepped in closer and leaned upwards to put her arms around his neck as his arms pulled her in to his chest and gently wrapped around her lower back. His arms felt much stronger than she remembered them being and she frowned to herself when she realized how long it had been since they last hugged. Ron lowered his chin and let it sit in the crook of her neck, and she noticed that he still had that familiar scent that she had grown so fond of over the years. Thinking about it made her close her eyes and lightly purse her lips together in a small smile. After a few seconds she realized she was probably dragging this out longer than she should and went to move away, but she was surprised to feel his arms tighten around her to prevent her from walking away. A few more seconds went by before he finally released her from the hug and stepped back.

His face was his signature shade of red again as he avoided her gaze and politely motioned for her to go ahead of him through the portrait hall with one hand, the other on his neck and an embarrassed smile on his face. She smiled politely back, said the password and entered the common room with Ron following close behind. Harry was waiting for them on the sofa near the fireplace, his back turned to them and his head looking down at the textbook on the table in front of him.

Hermione and Ron walked over to the sofa and sat on either side of Harry. He looked up and smiled between them as he closed his book. He looked happy to see that his two friends had seemed to have patched things up.

"Is everything alright then?" he asked.

"Yeah, everything's good," Hermione responded as she looked up at Ron and gave him a smile. He smiled back, and she knew that their friendship had gotten better now that they had said their apologies.

Harry looked at her with a big grin. "Brilliant! Well it's getting late; I think I'm going to head up to bed now if that's alright with you two?"

"Oh… sure, go ahead," she replied hesitantly. Ron nodded to agree with her. She considered that her and Ron were going to be alone again, and hoped that this time it would be different.

Harry packed his things and flung his knapsack over his shoulder. "Okay, well, goodnight guys. See you in the morning!" He jogged up the stairs and headed for his dorm.

Hermione and Ron were now alone on the sofa, both staring at the fire. Hermione was devastated to feel the awkward silence creeping back up on them. She really wanted it to be different.

After a few minutes, Ron suddenly turned himself to face her on the couch. "Hermione?"

"Yes, Ron?" she asked, still staring ahead at the fire.

"Do you think the fire is pretty?" he asked, turning his head to look back towards it.

Hermione turned her head to look at him. What a strange question! She was a little taken aback by the sheer randomness of it, but she answered anyways.

"I guess I do. The way it dances about… all the different colours… the glow emanating off of it. It's almost intoxicating, really." She smiled at her answer. She really did enjoy watching the fire. "What about you?"

"Oh… yeah, I do." He paused for a moment and then continued before Hermione had a chance to protest his short answer. "It seems like something so ordinary in your life, I mean… we sit in front of it every night, but then if you really take a look at it and think about how… I don't know… how beautiful and special it really is, it makes you think. Y'know? It's almost like I don't know what I would do without the fire in my life. Sitting on this sofa would be a lot less interesting, I imagine..." He stared lazily at the fire some more with a slight smile, almost as if he was in some sort of a trance.

Hermione was even more surprised and confused with his answer than she had been by the question. It wasn't like Ron to talk about anything that way with her, even when they had been closer of friends. It was probably the most mature thing she had ever heard him say. Since _when_, does Ron act mature?

"I don't think I've ever heard you use the word beautiful before," she said with a laugh. "You must really like the fire then, hm?" she asked with a smirk on her face.

"Oh… yeah, I do," he replied again, snapping out of his trance and pulling his eyes off the fire to look back at her with a visible blush. A small grin started to grow on his face. "Is that weird?"

"A little bit. But there's nothing wrong with being weird," she said as she laughed again.

The two chatted for a little bit more before Hermione suddenly realized how tired she was. She wanted to stay and continue talking with Ron like how they had used to, but she knew it was already much later than she was accustomed to.

"Well Ron, I think I'm going to head up to bed now. I'm quite tired."

"Oh, okay. Yeah it is getting late, isn't it?" he said with a bit of a chuckle as he looked over at the clock.

Hermione smiled and nodded before bringing her hand up over her mouth trying to stifle a yawn. They both slowly rose from the sofa and started heading for the stairs. Ron stopped at the bottom before walking up and put his hands in his pockets. He looked down at the floor, suddenly not knowing what to say before going up to his dorm.

"Well I'll err… meet you down here before breakfast with Harry then?" he asked with a smile, finally lifting his head to meet her gaze.

"Sure" she said, returning the smile as she gazed into his blue eyes. It was so easy to get lost in them, and it had been a while since she had last had the chance to. Remembering what she told herself about giving off signals, she quickly pulled her eyes out of his and let them settle on the ground.

"Okay, well… G'night 'Mione," he said over his shoulder with a yawn of his own as he started to head for his dorm.

"Night, Ron," she said quietly with a sweet smile. As she was walking back to her own dorm she thought about how much she had missed that as well. _'Mione._ She had realized during their time apart how much she had taken for granted little things like a silly nick-name, or being able to look into his eyes during a conversation. She was ecstatic to hear it again because she knew it meant their friendship was back on track, and she smiled to herself as she walked.

Once she reached her dorm room, she took a long shower, got her pyjamas on, brushed her teeth, and climbed into her bed to think about how relieved she was that her relationship with Ron was seemingly back to normal. She began to drift to sleep, when suddenly she was awoken by a quiet knock on the door. She sat up in her bed to see if anyone was going to answer the door. Ginny sat up too, obviously wondering the same thing.

"It's okay Gin, I'll get it." Hermione struggled to get untangled from her sheets and put her slippers on before dragging her feet over to the door. She assumed it would one of her dorm mates' friends looking for a shoulder to cry on about whatever it was they were upset about tonight. What would it be this time? A boy, perhaps? Or maybe it was more stress from school work. Whatever it was, it was probably going to keep Hermione awake for a while if she let her in.

She opened the door as quietly as she could, prepared to tell the visitor that nobody else was awake so they would have to leave, but then she laid eyes on the boy standing on the other side of the door.

"Oh!" she said surprised, "I wasn't expecting it to be you!"

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**A/N: Alright! So that's the first chapter. Sorry about the cliff-hanger. Believe me when I say I hate them as well, but I don't want to post it all at once and then not have enough to post even one chapter when my school workload starts getting heavier. Next chapter will be up next Tuesday. And if I forget to post it, I'm sure I will remember it eventually! I can be forgetful at times…**

**Comments? Suggestions? Concerns? Leave them in a review :)**

**Thanks!**

**-ArticulateFiction**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: **

**Okay so I know I said I was only going to post this every Tuesday, but for some reason I really wanted to post the second chapter. It probably had something to do with all the emails telling me about the people subscribing to the story on Story Alert, got me excited I guess :) **

**This chapter takes place directly after the first chapter, and it's got mostly a Ron/Harry moment, but I also through in a lot of Ron's feelings on his situation with Hermione. **

**OH, and before I forget, I made a small change in the story by making Hermione and Ginny roommates. I don't want to change the structure of the storyline too much, but for my story's purposes it makes me life MUCH easier. **

**Disclaimer: I own none of the Harry Potter characters/concepts that come from J.K. Rowling. **

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Chapter 2:

Ron began to slowly walk up the stairs to go to his dorm. He was a little disappointed that he didn't get to spend more time with Hermione that night now that she seemed to not hate him, but she had said she was tired and he knew it was late.

"Okay, well… G'night 'Mione," he said over his shoulder while trying to keep from yawning.

She smiled and he heard her say "Night, Ron" in a quiet voice as he kept walking up the stairs. He reached his dorm room and quietly opened the door, but was surprised to see Harry sitting up in bed still awake, staring at the wall in front of him as if he was day-dreaming.

"Oh, hey mate. Thought you were going to bed?"

Harry snapped out of it and looked over at Ron with a semi-surprised look on his face.

"Oh, yeah, I was… can't sleep though."

"Oh... Yeah, I know what that's like…," he responded with a sad look on his face. He thought about the past couple months that he had spent losing sleep over the thoughts rattling around in his head.

He cleared his mind and started getting ready for bed, then crawled underneath the covers of his four-poster and sat up against the head board, much like how Harry was sitting. He felt happier tonight than he had felt in a while. He and Hermione had had a normal, friendly conversation. He hadn't been able to spend time like that with her in months, and he missed it more than anything. He hadn't realized how much he had missed it until tonight. What was it about her that made him miss her so much?

He thought back to when he had first come to notice her as more than his know-it-all best friend. He imagined it would have been back around second or third year. He had started noticing how pretty she looked when she studied her books and bits of her hair fell in front of his face, or how her skin seemed to almost glow under certain light, or how dark her eyes were and how easy it was for him to get lost in them. He remembered asking himself since when had he turned into such a _girl_ to think that way about anyone, especially _Hermione_…

During fourth year, when she brought Viktor Krum to the Yule Ball, he completely lost his mind with jealousy and he couldn't understand why. He asked himself again why he should care so much who she takes to the ball; she was just his friend, after all. But he couldn't help it… and he tried to tell himself that he was being stupid for caring, but he started to realize that maybe he fancied her as more than just a friend. He always caught himself staring at her features, watching her study, rowing with her for no reason just to get a rise out of her. As the years went on he found himself actually _craving_ to be near her. Any chance he got to sit near her had him giddy inside. His feelings for her had definitely deepened. He wasn't just noticing how cute she was when she read, but was instead full-out staring at her for what felt like hours, watching her lips, longing to feel them on his own. He wanted every hug from her to last forever and he never wanted to stop being near her. He didn't understand the hold she had on him.

When he found out earlier this year that she had actually kissed Krum back in fourth year, he had never been more jealous in his life. Not only was he jealous, but he felt angry with her even though she hadn't done anything wrong. Then he found out Lavender fancied him and thought maybe he _should_ be trying to move on. Hermione clearly had no interest in being more than friends since she was off having a good time with other blokes. He wasn't proud to admit to himself that he had also hoped she might get jealous of him dating Lavender. He had learned earlier that day that it had made her jealous, but not in the way he meant. And when she was mad at him while he was with Lavender, he still found himself wanting to be with her. The way she looked at him whenever she saw them together, like he was some sort of _monster_ or something, destroyed him inside. He couldn't bear her seeing him as that horrible person. It was clear that he hadn't gotten over her at all, and he wasn't even that fond of Lavender.

He couldn't have been happier when she started talking to him again after he was poisoned, and he decided dating someone he couldn't stand being around wasn't worth it if it couldn't help him get over Hermione anyways. Their friendship wasn't the same though, and he wanted to talk to her about it to figure out how he could fix it, but he was too nervous to bring it up.

When she had said she wanted to talk about something in Charms class earlier that day, he was excited to find that she was going to bring it up first. It turned out that she had only wanted to make sure he was okay with the whole breaking-up thing, but at least they had sorted out their feelings anyways. He hated apologizing, but it was worth it if it meant being able to be her friend again. To his delight, it seemed to have worked because they just spent the night hanging out like they used to, and he had loved every minute of it.

A few minutes after drifting off with his thoughts he heard a loud snore coming from one of his roommates, probably Neville, and he snapped out of it. Deciding he was ready to try to fall asleep, he started to adjust his blankets and pillow and turned to say goodnight to Harry. He noticed that Harry was still staring at the wall with a pensive look on his face, and it made Ron think maybe he was upset about something. Probably something related to horcruxes or Malfoy or something, and as much as he didn't want to hear any more about it, he thought he better ask. He didn't think he would be able to get to sleep himself for a while anyways.

"So…," he started awkwardly, "why can't _you_ sleep?"

Harry looked back at him with a slight smile. "Oh, you know… just thinking. About… things."

Ron wondered what it was he was smiling about. There were only a couple things that made Harry smile when he started thinking: his parents, and the occasional girl.

"Oh… _things_?" he asked back with a sneaky grin and a raised eyebrow.

Harry chuckled. "Yes, things, and what's that look for?"

Ron laughed and was relieved to know that this wasn't going to have anything to do with Death Eaters or anything else of the sort. "Admit it Harry, it's a girl! I've known you long enough to know when you fancy someone. So, who is it then?"

Harrys smile suddenly disappeared as his face brought on a look of surprise and his eyes grew wide.

Ron, confused to see the sudden change in mood, egged him on. Now he was curious. "Well? Who is she then? She must be great to have you thinking so much."

Harry went back to facing the wall, trying to avoid Ron's curious eyes. "Well… err…"

Suddenly, Ron's eyes started to bulge out and his brain clicked.

"Oh Merlin… it's not a she then is it? It's a… is it a, err… a _he_?" He tried to whisper the last word just in case anyone was around. He didn't want to embarrass his best mate if he wasn't ready to share it with people.

"WHAT?" Harry practically shouted as he snapped his head back to face Ron. Ron grimaced at the tone of Harry's voice and his face started to turn red. Apparently Harry didn't fancy men and he instantly felt embarrassed for having even suggested it. Their roommates briefly stirred under their sheets and Harry quickly realized he was being too loud.

"For Merlin's sake Ron, no, it's not a boy!" Harry snapped, lowering his voice as he covered his face with both hands and shook his head. "It is a _girl_, I just… don't know how happy you'll be about it when you find out who she is…," he trailed off as his hands slid down his face and landed back in his lap.

Ron sat up straight as he felt the air in his lungs disappear. This was it; his worst fear was becoming a reality. Harry had to have been talking about Hermione. He had never talked about his feelings towards her with Harry, but he was sure Harry had to know. He had teased Ron on more than one occasion over the years about flirting with her or always choosing to sit next to her, even though Ron denied liking her as more than a friend every time. And now he was about to tell Ron that _he_ had feelings for Hermione too. He inwardly cursed himself for having ever denied liking Hermione as more than a friend. Now he was going to have to watch her be with the great Harry Potter every day, and the thought about that killed him inside. Who would ever want to leave Harry for him?

"It's Hermione, isn't it?" he asked in a sad tone. He looked away from Harry as soon as he felt the frown break out on his face. He didn't want Harry to see he was upset about it.

Harry stared at Ron with his mouth agape and a look of complete disbelief plastered on his face.

"Ron. You have _got_ to be kidding me. You really think I would go for Hermione when it's obvious to everyone that you've fancied her for years? Even if you didn't, she's too much like a sister to me. I could never think of her that way." His tone was not so much angry as it was firm. He wanted Ron to know that he would never have romantic feelings for Hermione. This wasn't about him liking Ron's sister anymore; this was about Ron's insecurities. He needed Ron to understand he had nothing to be worried about.

Ron's face turned pink as he turned back to Harry. How could he act like such a prat twice in one conversation? He really needed to stop coming to his own conclusions. First the "you fancy men" thing, and now this. He knew deep down that Harry would never do something like that to him, even if he thought he could. He was his best mate, after all. And now Harry _had_ to know that he liked Hermione. He felt his face turn hotter at the thought of anyone knowing. Maybe he could try to deny it again…

"Fancied her for years? I don't know _what_ you're talking about Har-"

"Honestly Ron, you must think I'm daft!" Harry cut him off with a chuckle. "Listen mate, I know you do. Whether you admit it to me or not, I know it's true. I see the way you look at her, and the horrible mood it put you in when she was mad at you. And by the way, I really wish I could understand why you started dating that blonde twit when it was so obvious you liked Hermione the whole time. Why lower your chances at having Hermione by getting into a relationship? It just makes no sense." He crossed his arms over his chest and started looking back towards the wall in front of him, satisfied that his rant had rendered Ron speechless.

Ron stared at him with his mouth open as the pink on his face darkened to a vibrant shade of red. He could feel the tips of his ears burning, and he had no idea how to respond to what Harry had just said. Of course, every word of it was true, including the part about having less a chance of ever being with her while dating someone else, but he really didn't think that it would have mattered either way.

"Well… I, err… maybe I fancy her a little, I suppose… or a lot… I don't know, it's possible," he said with his head turned the opposite direction from Harry's bed. He heard Harry chuckle at his response and didn't have to be able to see Harry's face to know that he must have been wearing the smuggest grin imaginable. "And it's not like my dating Lavender mattered anyways… I think it's obvious that Hermione had no interest in being anything more than my friend before that. Goin' off, kissing boys… she even had a thing of her own with McLaggen when I was dating Lavender…" He snorted and clicked his tongue before continuing "And let's face it, a girl like Hermione would have no interest in a prat like me anyways. She's much smarter and better looking than I ever will be…" He let himself trail off as his face kept its bright shade of red. He was embarrassed to have admitted all that in front of Harry, but it was all in the open now and there was nothing else he could do about it.

"Ron…," Harry sighed and paused before going on. "We both know you're smarter than you let on. And you may not be as smart as Hermione," he chuckled "but not many people are. I'm sure she doesn't expect all her boyfriends to be as smart as her. And, you know… I'm sure she finds you attractive too… it's hard for me to tell really, but I'm pretty sure you're not, you know… ugly. I think you would probably be classified as, err, attractive." Harry's eyes were darting around the room as he said it. Somehow the conversation had now made him feel more embarrassed than Ron was.

Ron kept his eyes forward, pausing before responding to Harry. Neither of them was comfortable talking about their feelings, but he did appreciate Harry's efforts in cheering him up. It was then that he realized how awkward Harry must have felt about having to try to convince Ron that he's attractive, and he started laughing.

"You sure you're not into men there, Harry?" he said, still laughing.

"Oi, sod off, Ron!" laughed Harry as he threw his pillow and nailed Ron with it right in the head.

Ron laughed again as he felt the pillow hit him in the head.

"Oi!" He threw it back at Harry who was still laughing, but it only grazed him.

They both laughed again before sitting back in their spots against their headboards. A moment of comfortable silence passed before Harry spoke again.

"So… are you ever gonna' tell her? You know, that you fancy her?"

"I don't know mate, I wouldn't want to ruin anything… she's finally talking to me again and it might make things awkward if she knew."

"Well, you never know… maybe she returns the feelings." Harry smiled knowingly to himself as she had already confessed to him months ago that she did.

Ron stared at Harry with a shocked look on his face. "Oh, come on, Harry. You can't _possibly_ believe that! I know you're supposed to be my best mate and everything, but you shouldn't be lying to me just to make me feel better."

"I'm not lying to you Ron, it's always possible! You'll never know unless you talk to her about it, you know."

"Trust me, Harry, if I thought there was even the slightest chance that she fancied me back, I'd tell her. But right now I just want to focus on being friends again." He tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling of his bed and let out an exasperated sigh.

Harry turned his head to look at Ron. "Well, if you want to be miserable then be my guest, but if I was you I'd tell her."

Ron's head suddenly shot up as he remembered what they had been talking about to begin with.

"Hang on now, Harry. Isn't there a girl who _you_ aren't telling the same thing? And who is it then, if it's not Hermione? Why would you think it'd upset me?" He stared at Harry waiting for an answer. He was not going to let him get out of it that easy.

Harry's eyes closed shut and he tilted his head back much like Ron had done a minute earlier.

"Alright, Ron. I guess you deserve to know, since you're probably going to find out sooner or later anyways… but just remember that I'm your best mate before you react." He turned himself around to sit on the edge of the bed to face Ron's, and Ron did the same as his curiosity peaked.

"Oh, Merlin… You're gonna' want to hit me, I know it!" Harry said as he propped his elbows on his knees and buried his face into his hands.

"Harry, you're really making me nervous here. I don't just wanna' hit my best mate for no reason so who could it b-"

"It's Ginny, Ron," he blurted, his face still in his hands. He slowly pulled his hands down half-expecting Ron's fist to meet his nose, but was relieved to see Ron's face was more shocked than angry.

"Ginny… as in my sister Ginny? Well that's err… that's really…," Ron stammered. He really couldn't find the words. He had couldn't say he was _totally_ surprised, considering the amount of time Harry had spent around his family at The Burrow, but he still hadn't expected that name to come from Harry's mouth.

"I know, I know, it's horrible. It makes me a bad friend; you don't have to say it. I'm sorry that it happened this way, I just, I don't know. I just like her a lot. I can't get her off my mind, and now that she's not with Dean anymore I've been thinking about her all day," said Harry, his face filled with angst. He had finally admitted it and felt enough courage to meet Ron's gaze.

Ron didn't know what to think about Harry's confession. It was always hard to see boys hanging all over his little sister, but for some reason he didn't feel as angry knowing it could be Harry. Maybe because he knew Harry well enough himself to know that he was a good guy... It was still going to be a little strange for him to see them together, but he had to admit it was better than Dean or any of the other blokes wandering around this school.

"I'll admit it might be a little… weird… but it's got to be better than seeing her with someone who would just end up hurting her. If there's any boy here who'd even come close to deserving to be with my little sister, it's you." He gave Harry a small, approving smile and Harry grinned back at him with wide eyes.

"Really? That's it? So you're really okay with it?" he beamed as he eagerly waited for Ron's confirmation.

Ron chuckled back at him. He hadn't seen Harry so excited about something in a long time. "Yeah, I guess I'm okay with it. I _suppose_ I can trust you enough by now" he said with a sarcastic tone as he rolled his eyes and smiled. "But if you ever do anything to hurt her," he narrowed his eyes at him with a slight smile still hanging on his face, "your arse is mine, Potter!"

Harry laughed with him and held his hands up in the air in a mockingly defensive way. "Alright, fair enough."

"And try to keep the snogging to a minimum around me, okay? It still freaks me out." Ron's face grimaced and he gave a little shutter as he remembered catching Ginny and Dean snogging on more than one occasion.

Harry laughed again. "Alright, I think I can do that." His face then turned serious again, "That's assuming she'll even have me…"

"Don't' worry Harry, the way she obsessed over you back in first and second year makes me sure that she'll be happy to have you."

Harry smiled back at him, remembering how timid she had been when she first met him.

"Well, now that I know you're okay with it, I think I might head over to the girls' dorm and talk to her about it!" He shot up off the bed and grabbed his cloak of invisibility.

"Wait... right now? At this time of night? Are you mad?" Ron stood up to walk towards him. "I know you're excited, but can't this wait 'til the morning?"

"I don't know if you've noticed, Ron, but your sister has a lot of fans, if you know what I mean. I don't want to risk waiting 'till then," he said with a huge smile. He threw the cloak over himself and Ron saw the door open as Harry slipped out. He made sure to close it as quietly as possible while Ron got back into his bed.

The thoughts in Ron's head were swimming again as he thought about everything that had happened that day. He thought about Harry and Ginny becoming a couple, and wondered how Harry was doing over at the girls' dorm. He imagined it would go good, and he wouldn't be surprised to find that the two had gotten together by the morning. He smiled to himself as he thought about the hard time he was going to give them tomorrow.

His thoughts then steered back to Hermione as he wished that he had the same courage that Harry did. He imagined what it would be like if he had gone over to Hermione's room and told her how he felt, but as he played it out in his head it only ended with her rejecting him. He shuddered at the thought of her ever being disgusted by him again, and decided he'd have to settle with the images of her face that always appeared in his thoughts at night to get his fix. Being her friend was the next best thing, so he'd have to keep his feelings inside so not to ruin their friendship.

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"It's okay Gin, I'll get it." Hermione struggled to get untangled from her sheets and put her slippers on before dragging her feet over to the door. She assumed it would one of her dorm mates' friends looking for a shoulder to cry on about whatever it was they were upset about tonight. What would it be this time? A boy, perhaps? Or maybe it was more stress from school work. Whatever it was, it was probably going to keep Hermione awake for a while if she let her in.

She opened the door as quietly as she could, prepared to tell the visitor that nobody else was awake so they would have to leave, but then she laid eyes on the boy standing on the other side of the door.

"Oh!" she said surprised, "I wasn't expecting it to be you!"

"Sorry, Hermione," said Harry as his head poked out from under the invisible cloak. "I need to talk to Ginny, it's important. You don't mind if I come in, do you?"

Hermione smiled at his seemingly floating head as she gave him a knowing look. "This wouldn't have anything to do with her new status as a single witch, would it?" She had to supress her laugh so not to wake her roommates.

Harry smiled back at her with an embarrassed look on his face. "It's possible… so, can I come in?"

"Wait, what about Ron? Aren't you going to at least talk to him about it before you do this?"

"Already done!" he said as he beamed back at her. "He said it might be weird, but it's got to be better than the other guys around here hounding for her, so he's okay with it."

Hermione grinned back at him. She felt so happy for Harry and Ginny, and she knew that Ginny would be excited to hear what Harry had to say. She opened the door wide enough for him to slip through and motioned for him to come in.

Ginny had already lied back down under her blankets. Hermione tip-toed over to her and tried to shimmy her awake as she whispered "Ginny… Ginny! You have a visitor!"

Ginny looked up at her as Hermione gave her a small wink, and she quickly sat up to see who it was. A smile broke out on her face as soon as she saw Harry standing at the end of her bed, anxiously waiting for her to get up. She hopped up out of bed and threw on her slippers before walking over to him.

"Hey Gin… I wanted to, err… talk to you… about something. So… do you mind if we go down to the common room?"

"Oh, sure that sounds fine." She smiled at him as she opened the door and stepped out. Harry threw the cloak back around him so that nobody would see him leaving the girls' dorm and went to follow her. Before he stepped out the door he quickly whispered to Hermione in an excited tone "Alright, wish me luck!"

Hermione giggled. "Good luck, Harry!" He quietly closed the door and she jumped back into her bed. She was too excited for Ginny to be able to fall back asleep, so she decided to stay awake and wait for her friend to hear all the details. She was sure Ginny would need to gush to someone about it, so she might as well stay awake.

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**So that was Chapter 2 :) **

**I hope you all enjoyed my take on Ron's character. I personally always thought he had matured somewhat at this point in his life, but he's still a little clumsy around his feelings and what-not. I also really like his relationship with Harry and I enjoyed writing this dialogue between them. **

**I'd appreciate reviews and your guys' feedback :D **

**Thanks! And Chapter 3 will still be posted this Tuesday!**

**-ArticulateFicton**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes:**

**Alright, sorry that I didn't post this yesterday like I said I would. I ended up getting called into the office to work and that literally never happens! So I wasn't working on my laptop like I usually am.**

**I will admit that this chapter is pretty much laying down some more foundations between the characters in the story, but next chapter we will be seeing more action in the storyline. This one gives a good insight into Hermione's character in particular. It takes place directly after the ending of the second chapter and carries through to the next day. So enjoy! :)**

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Chapter 3:

Hermione lay awake staring at the ceiling of her bed, waiting for Ginny to come back to the dorm. It had already been about half an hour since Harry had come knocking at their door wanting to speak with her and she had gone with him down to the common room. How long could a simple "I fancy you" take? She then remembered how long it had been since she had developed the same feelings for Ron, and she scolded herself for wanting to rush them. How could she complain when it had been years and she still hadn't had the courage to tell Ron?

She suddenly heard a door squeak open as Ginny stepped in and closed the door behind her. Hermione let out a quiet squeal and shot up out of her bed before excitedly prancing over to Ginny.

"So?" she asked with a huge smile on her face.

Ginny smiled back at how excited her friend was for her. "So what?" she teased.

"Oh, COME ON, Ginny. What happened? Tell me everything!" Hermione's face turned red as soon as she heard the overly excited tone in her voice. Even _she_ was surprised to see how girlish she was being about this. She had always been somewhat of a closet-romantic, but the thought of a real-life romance unravelling before her eyes was much more exciting than reading any of her fiction romance novels.

Ginny giggled as she jumped onto her bed and pulled her feet up under her to cross her legs. Hermione followed her onto the bed as she crossed her own legs and turned to face Ginny with a lingering look of excitement on her face.

"Well… he said that he had had something on his mind for a while, but he couldn't act on it because of various… circumstances," she answered as she looked down at the bed.

Hermione felt her mouth fall open with anticipation as she waited for Ginny to continue. "Okay, what circumstances? What was on his mind? Keep going!" She already knew the answers to both questions but she wanted to know that Harry had finally confessed his feelings to Ginny and she couldn't keep her anticipation at bay.

"For Merlin's sake Hermione, calm down!" Ginny answered with a laugh. "Then he said that he couldn't tell me before because I was with Dean, and today after he found out that we had split he had wanted to tell me right away but there was still something he had to take care of before he did."

Hermione's eyes widened, still waiting to hear if Harry had told her that he had feelings for her or not.

Ginny giggled again at Hermione's reaction to her lingering pause in the story. "He said something about having to talk to Ron about it first, and once Ron had said he was okay with it he left right away to come tell me."

Hermione grinned as the excitement inside of her built. "Then what!" she almost shouted as Ginny laughed again.

Ginny was giggling like the school girl that she was, Hermione's excitement clearly rubbing off on her as she answered "Well, I could tell he was really nervous and he started stuttering, but he eventually blurted that he's fancied me for a while now as more than a friend, and he couldn't hide his romantic feelings for me anymore!"

Hermione gasped despite her already knowing everything that Harry had admitted to Ginny. She had to admit though; she was genuinely surprised that he had just come outright with it like that. "Now tell me what you said back!" she almost shouted again as she felt her grin sneak back onto her face.

"I said I fancied him too, of course! And then he said 'Brilliant!' and I said 'Yeah', and then he asked if I'd be interested in going on a date tomorrow night, and I said yes! So, I guess I have a date!" she said as she felt her own smile become as large as Hermione's.

Hermione's grin grew impossibly larger and she tried to supress another girlish squeal as she brought Ginny into a hug. Ginny couldn't keep from laughing as she returned the hug with a tight squeeze.

"I'm so happy for you guys Gin! I can't believe he finally told you, I didn't think he'd ever get the chance to do it!"

Ginny gasped and she suddenly pulled her head back to look at Hermione's face, her arms still on her shoulders.

"Are you saying you knew the whole time? And you never told me? What is _wrong_ with you, woman? If I had known a nice boy like Harry was interested I probably would have dumped Dean _ages_ ago!" she said with a smile.

Hermione laughed at her response. "Well it's not like I had a choice, Gin. Harry's still one of my best friends and he would have killed me if I had said anything! But at least it worked out in the end."

"Yeah, I'm just happy that Ron's decided to stop being a prat about me having boyfriends. Who knows if Harry ever would have asked me out if Ron had not been okay with it first?"

"Well, Harry did mention that Ron said it might be weird, but he also said it's got to be better than any of the other boys at Hogwarts. I'd imagine it's because he knows Harry well enough."

Ginny started scowling. "Well, it's still none of his damn business. I won't be surprised if he's still trying to keep me from snogging my boyfriend for the end of eternity, even if it ends up being Harry."

Hermione laughed. "You know he's only looking out for his only little sister, Gin. I'm sure he'll be better if it's Harry. They're best friends, after all. And if it makes you feel better I'll make sure to keep him off your case," she promised.

Ginny scoffed and gave her a mischievous smirk. "And how do you plan on doing _that_, Hermione? Taking him out in the courtyard for a little snog-fest, perhaps? That'll distract him, I'm sure." She laughed at her own teasing as Hermione's cheeks flushed and her face turned a light shade of pink. She immediately regretted having ever told Ginny about the dream she had had a while back which involved her jumping Ron and snogging his face off out in the courtyard.

Hermione huffed as she crossed her arms. "Oh, very funny! Honestly, Ginny, that's the last time I tell you about any of my dreams," she said as she turned her head away from Ginny's smirk.

"Oh come on, Hermione, we both know you'd love nothing more than to get him alone in the courtyard, or anywhere for that matter, and just snog his brains out" she retorted, her smirk turning into more of a devilish grin.

Hermione knew Ginny was right, but she was trying to push past the romantic urges she had towards Ron. All she wanted was to have _some_ kind of relationship with him, and she truly believed that being his friend again was her only shot.

Hermione brought her face back around to look at Ginny, who was still smirking like an idiot. "Despite what I have felt in the past, I am trying my best to get over it." She felt her face slightly drop and she pulled her knees up to her chest and she rested her chin on top of them before she continued: "I really just want to be friends again, and I'm okay with him only liking me as his friend. I'm sure I'll get over it soon enough."

Ginny's smirk disappeared as fast as it had come and Hermione could see waves of pity behind her eyes. "Hermione, you and I both know that you aren't just going to get over him…" Hermione sighed knowing that Ginny was right. No matter what she tried to tell herself, she knew it wasn't going to be that easy. She wondered if she would _ever_ be able to get over him.

Ginny sat there a moment longer before speaking again. "You now… I have reason to believe that Ron may, possibly, return the feelings…" Hermione's head shot up with a quizzical expression.

"What makes you say that?" she asked quietly, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"I don't know, after living with a bloke for years it's easy to tell when he's acting… I don't know, differently. And he definitely acts differently with you, Hermione," responded Ginny with a slight smile. "And he just broke up with that horrible girl… so, you never know what can happen. I'm not saying you should expect any big romantic gestures or anything, I mean it is still _Ron_, but just don't lose hope. I know my brother feels differently about you than he does with other girls. I just… have a feeling."

Hermione returned Ginny's smile with one of her own as she thought about what Ginny had said. Did Ron really treat her different than other girls? She hadn't really noticed. She made a mental note to pay more attention to how Ron acted towards other girls at school before responding to Ginny.

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Gin, but I'm still not going to hold my breath. I don't mean to doubt your sisterly intuition, but I think Ron and I just have a different sort of friendship. He's always treated me differently than other girls." She gave Ginny a sorry smile before releasing her knees from her chest and standing up. "But enough about boys. Who needs 'em, right?" She walked over and plopped down on her own bed. "I'm seriously considering remaining single for the rest of my days. I was so much happier back in first year when the only thing I cared about was my studies and my books." She smiled fondly at the memory of being a care-free child as she pulled her blankets up over top of her and laid her head down on the pillow. "I could always just get a cat… or ten."

Ginny laughed as she pictured Hermione as an old, crazy witch with a hundred cats following her around everywhere. "Well, you tell me how that works out then." She climbed under the sheets of her own bed and laughed again as the image appeared back in her head.

Hermione laughed with her, knowing what she must have been thinking about. "Alright, well I'm supposed to meet Harry and Ron downstairs before breakfast, would you like to join us?"

"Sure," responded Ginny.

"Good. 'Night, Gin" she said quietly as she closed her eyes. She heard Ginny say goodnight back as she let her thoughts carry her off to sleep.

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The next morning, Hermione woke up in a much happier mood than she had been last night, and she skipped out of her bed as she started getting ready for class. She put on a clean uniform and fixed up her hair as best she could with the old hairbrush she had had since she was a young girl. She grimaced as she tried to maneuver the brush between her thick locks as it pulled at her scalp. She really did hate her hair.

When she finally gave up on trying to tame her mane, she came out of the bathroom hoping Ginny would have at least _started_ to get ready. She gave a frustrated sigh as she stomped towards Ginny's bed and plopped down on the edge of it.

"Ginny…" she whispered as she tried to coax her awake, "Ginny get _up_, we're going to be late for breakfast."

Ginny groaned at the sound of Hermione's voice. "Just a few more minutes, okay?"

"Come on, Ginny, you need to get up! We're going to be _late_," she snapped. Ginny lied still, her eyes closed, as she pretended not to hear Hermione.

Hermione let out an aggravated groan and huffed before suddenly remembering who was waiting for them.

"You now, a certain _boy_ down there probably would be pretty disappointed to see that you didn't want to have breakfast with him…"

Ginny's eyes snapped open and she quickly struggled to get out from under the blankets that she had wrapped herself up in before falling asleep. Once she was free, she jumped out of bed, grabbed a clean uniform and ran into the washroom to start her morning beauty routine. Hermione giggled as she watched Ginny run in and shut the door, and she thought to herself how deliciously wicked she could be sometimes.

After another fifteen minutes had gone by, Ginny emerged from the bathroom, her face all done up and her hair styled the way she liked. She looked at Hermione who was sitting on the end of Ginny's bed with one leg crossed over the other, her elbow resting on top of her knee as her hand supported her head's weight. She rolled her eyes before looking up at Ginny and asking "Are you about finished?"

Ginny smiled down at her. "Well, that depends. How do I look? Presentable?"

Hermione huffed as she rolled her eyes again and smiled before standing up. "Yes, you look magnificent, the most beautiful sight I have ever laid eyes on," she laughed, sarcasm exuding from every word.

Ginny rolled her eyes back at her and started to pack her bag. Once she was finished the two girls slowly walked down the stairs to the common room, chit-chatting about school.

They reached the landing and looked around before finally spotting Harry and Ron, both sitting on a couch with their backs facing the stairs. Their elbows were on their knees and their hands holding their heads up, much like the way Hermione had been while waiting for Ginny to come out of the bathroom only moments ago.

Hermione and Ginny walked over to the couches and they saw the boys turn their heads and peer over their shoulders to see who was approaching. Harry suddenly stood up and smiled as he realized who was with Hermione. Ron remained seated but looked up at Hermione and gave her a smile. "I see you brought someone to join us, Hermione," he said as Ginny stared at him through narrowed eyes and stuck her tongue out at him.

Harry chuckled at her reaction before walking around to the back of the couch as the girls stopped walking in front of him. 'How are you two this morning?" He asked shyly as he glanced between the two girls' eyes. Hermione gave him a smile knowing that he had to have been aware that Ginny would tell her what he had said to her last night, and he was probably mortified that Hermione knew all the details. She answered quickly, not wanting to prolong his embarrassment. "Well _someone_ was a little bit slow getting out of bed," she teased as Ginny rolled her eyes, "but besides that I'm fine."

Harry chuckled again as he caught on to who he was talking about. He smiled at Ginny and asked, "And you?"

"Oh, I'm good, same old same old, I suppose." She beamed back at him as Harry's smile grew into a grin.

"Brilliant." The two smiled at each other for a while before they heard a sudden groan.

"Oh, bloody hell, here we go…" a low voice from behind teased as they all turned to look at Ron rolling his eyes and rising from the couch. "Can we please just walk down to breakfast without all the cutesy stuff? _Please_? I can already feel it getting awkward and you two aren't even officially dating yet!"

Hermione covered her mouth to suppress a giggle as Harry and Ginny's faces both started to turn red. She had never seen Ginny blush before, but now that she had she knew she had to be Ron's sister.

"Alright, let's go then, no need to drag this out." She lightly pushed Harry and Ginny ahead of her as she and Ron started walking behind them.

By the time they had gotten out of the portrait hole, Harry and Ginny were lost in each other's gazes as they tried to make friendly chit-chat. Hermione smiled at the sight of them as she tried to stifle another giggle. She turned her head to her left and looked up at Ron who was looking at the back of Harry and Ginny with one eye closed, a scrunched up nose and a hokey grimace on his face. He stuck out his tongue with an "Ugh!" and shook his head back and forward as he closed his eyes and pointed his head down at the floor. Hermione couldn't help but laugh at his over-the-top reaction, and he grinned mischievously as Harry and Ginny turned their heads behind them to stare daggers at them, both with a red tint in their cheeks. Just as quickly, they turned their heads back up front and continued their conversation.

Hermione laughed quietly once she knew the two were distracted with each other once more. "I really hope you aren't going to tease them much, Ron. I told Ginny I'd keep you off her back."

Ron scoffed with a grin still plastered on his face. "Honestly, Hermione, I don't know _what_ would give you the impression that I have any interest in her dating life," he said with a sarcastic tone. Hermione laughed again but was happy to see that her laughing hadn't interrupted Harry and Ginny's talking this time.

She smiled up at him and said "Well, I really don't think you have anything to worry about this time. You know Harry better than anyone in the world."

"I'm not _worried_, just a little, I don't know put off," he said with a slight chuckle. "My best mate, who's practically my brother, snogging on my sister. It's just a little weird is all."

"I'm sure you'll get used to it eventually," Hermione said looking up at him with a comforting smile. He smiled back and shrugged his shoulders as they continued to walk down the hallways.

Once the four friends reached the Great Hall, they found their usual spots at the table. Hermione laughed to herself as Harry chose to sit beside Ginny instead of Ron or her like he usually did. Ron scoffed as he shook his head and sat down next to Hermione. Harry and Ginny were still deep in conversation.

"Great. So can we expect that you'll be sitting with us every day now?" Ron said with a teasing tone in his voice. Ginny and Harry continued talking, almost as if they hadn't even heard what he had said. Ron huffed as he looked at Hermione with a shocked expression on his face. "Can you believe this?" he asked as he motioned his hands towards where Harry and Ginny were sitting. "It's like they don't even know we that we bloody well exist!"

Hermione laughed. "Oh, Ron, just leave them alone already! I'm sure Ginny wasn't like this to you when you started going out with Lavender." Her smile faded as she remembered back when Ron and Lavender had been going out. Ginny had absolutely hated Lavender, but probably in partial because she knew Hermione liked Ron and she wanted Hermione to be happy.

Ron's smile disappeared as well and he quickly took a bite of his breakfast as he looked down on his plate of eggs and sausage. A moment went by as the two sat eating their food, not wanting to be the first one to break the now uncomfortable silence.

Suddenly, Ron laid down his fork and cleared his throat. "Hermione?"

Hermione inwardly let out a sigh of relief as she raised her head off of her plate to look at him. "Mhm?" she mumbled, her mouth still partly full with food.

"Was I really… was I really like, you know, them? When I was, err… dating Lavender?" He stared back at her with a somewhat sad look in his eyes.

Hermione's eyes widened slightly and she swallowed the mouthful of food she had in her mouth. She had been in such a good mood that morning, why did he have to bring this up again?

She looked down at the table before answering his question. "Well, for a while there, yeah. Which was part of the reason why I was so angry with you…" Her voice trailed off as she bit her bottom lip. She grabbed a glass of pumpkin juice and took a sip before slowly lifting her head to look at him again.

Ron was looking down at the table, clearly mulling it over in his mind. She thought she detected a sense of guilt in his facial expression. Maybe he was starting to realize what he had put her through now that he was on the other side of things.

He looked up to meet her gaze, almost as if he knew what she had been thinking. "Listen, Hermione... I know I already said I'm sorry for that, but I just wanted to say it again. I really am sorry. I feel like I messed things up in our friendship, you know?" He kept their eyes locked as he waited for her to answer.

"Ron, it's okay, really. I already told you I forgive you for ignoring me," she answered, raising her hand up on his forearm as she spoke. "And it wasn't just you. I didn't take it as well as I could have." She gave him an assuring smile as she stared back into his deep blue eyes.

Ron nodded as he smiled back down at her, holding his gaze with hers for a few more seconds before chuckling and looking back down at his breakfast to shovel the last bite into his mouth. He looked back up at Ginny and Harry, who were both completely oblivious to him and Hermione's conversation.

"It's quite annoying, actually," he said with a laugh, his mouth still full of food. "I'm not surprised you were that upset. Especially with Lover Boy over there getting involved with Dumbledore's little missions at the same time."

Hermione laughed at the new nick name. "Yes, well it doesn't matter anymore. I was just being selfish, really. It's behind us now. And I can assure you, I'm not going to let it happen again, even now with Harry in the same position you were in a while ago."

"Good," said Ron as he smiled down at his plate. "At least you'll have me this time. I don't plan on getting involved in any of Dumbledore's crazy schemes, I'll tell you that much. Can you imagine? Next thing you know he'll have us all out there by ourselves to get these silly horcrux things. Not bloody likely!"

Harry's head suddenly snapped over in Ron and Hermione's direction at the use of the word "horcrux". "Ron," he whispered harshly as he leaned over the table so Ron could hear him, "you aren't supposed to be talking about those. And they aren't _silly_; they're an important part in destroying… You-Know-Who" he said, his eyes darting around to make sure nobody else could hear.

Ron huffed. "So _now_ you're listening to us? And you say that, but I just don't see how important they could be that someone would have to go off on some dangerous mission to destroy them."

Harry looked at him with his a raised eyebrow. "Weren't you listening when I explained it to you yesterday in Charms class?"

Ron shrugged his shoulders. "I guess not."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Well, I'll explain it to you again later. Just please don't talk about it so loudly in public!" He sat back in his seat before taking a bite of his breakfast, which by now had become cold since he had been focusing all his time on Ginny.

Once everyone had finished eating, they got up from the table to head to class.

"I'm actually going to go walk with Ginny to her class; I'll meet you guys in Potions, okay?" Harry said with an embarrassed look once they were out in the hallway. Hermione smiled back at him and nodded while Ron rolled his eyes.

"Sure, Harry," said Hermione, as she looked over his shoulder and winked at Ginny. Ginny stifled a giggle as Harry turned around, his face still pink, and they started to walk the opposite direction from her and Ron.

"Just don't count on us covering for you if you're late!" shouted Ron, a playful tone in his voice.

"Alright, well we better get to class," Hermione said, turning to walk slowly down the hall with Ron following by her side.

As they were walking, Hermione couldn't keep from smiling as she imagined how ecstatic Ginny must have been that Harry had offered to walk her to class. She was really happy that at least _one of them_ was getting attention from the boy they had liked for ages.

Ron looked down and noticed that Hermione had had the same goofy smile on her face that she had a minute ago when they had first started walking to class.

"What, may I ask exactly, are you smiling about? You've been grinning like an idiot for a whole minute now" he said with a chuckle.

Hermione's smile grew as she looked up at him. "Oh, I don't know. I was just thinking about how happy Ginny probably is right now. Isn't it romantic of Harry to escort her to class?" she asked with a dreamy look on her face. She drifted off in her thoughts again as her feet dragged underneath her.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Romantic? Since when is _walking_ romantic?" he asked, his eyebrow raised and a sarcastic tone in his voice.

"No, Ron, it's not the fact that they're walking. It's the fact that he is walking her to her class so that she won't have to walk alone."

He clicked his tongue and huffed as he rolled his eyes for what seemed to be the hundredth time that morning. "Well, I'm walking you to class. You don't see anyone calling _that_ romantic," he snapped, without even thinking about what he was saying. His eyes suddenly widened as he looked down after realizing what he had said.

Hermione sighed. "It's not the same, Ronald. He's walking her because he doesn't want her to be alone, and even though it's completely out of his way he's doing it anyways. It's kind of like a "knight in shining armour" idea. Girls like that sort of thing. It makes them feel, I don't know, special, I suppose…" Her voice trailed off as she thought about what it might have been like for someone to walk her to class simply because they wanted to.

Ron lifted his eyes up off the floor and onto Hermione, noticing the sad expression on her face. "Well, for what it's worth," he said quietly, "I'm walking with you because I _want_ to too, not just because I happen to be going to the same class." He quickly looked away before she could lift her head.

She looked up at him, a slight smile on her lips, and a slight touch of pink on her cheeks. His face was becoming a vibrant shade of red as his eyes stayed on the ground, too embarrassed to meet hers. Her heart fluttered at the sight of his blush. Had they just had a moment there? She wasn't sure, but she decided not to read too much into it and kept silent, the smile still looming on her face.

Another minute went by before either of them said anything. Ron suddenly stopped looking at the ground and he looked down at Hermione.

"Hermione?" he said, a lopsided grin appearing on his face.

"Yes?" she squeaked.

"You know you called me 'Ronald' a minute ago?"

She felt the corners of her mouth tug up as she thought back and realized that he was right. "Yes. So what?"

"So, nothing... You just haven't called me that for a while." He chuckled before continuing; "I missed it. Well, maybe not entirely, but _partially,_ at least." Hermione laughed at his emphasise on the word 'partially'.

"Well, I missed it too," she said, looking up to meet his blue eyes as he gave her a sweet smile. Now she was _certain_ they were having a moment. They laughed together as they continued to walk slowly down the hall.

After a few more minutes and some more light chit-chat, they reached the classroom door. Ron opened it and motioned for Hermione to go through, and she thanked him and entered the classroom. Her eyes scanned the room for an empty table, but she was caught off guard to see Harry had already made it to the classroom before them. He looked up at her with raised eyebrows and gave her a smirk as he saw Ron walk in behind her.

They walked over to Harry's table and Hermione sat down beside him, Ron sitting next to her.

"Well. Look what we have here," quirked Harry, a sinful tone in his voice. "What happened to 'Oh, we won't cover for you if you're late', huh?" he mocked, trying to imitate Ron's deep voice.

"Oi, shut up, Harry!" shouted Ron with an amused look on his face. "How'd you even beat us here anyways? Ditch my sister once you turned the corner? I knew it was all a charade." He laughed as Harry's mouth swung open and he scoffed.

"Hey!" he snapped, a smile still on his face, "I'll have you know I walked her _all_ the way to her classroom! Still had time to walk back here before you two made it as well. I was almost worried about you when I realized you hadn't showed up yet."

Ron rolled his eyes and laughed. "Well, don't get your knickers in a twist. We're here now."

Harry chuckled and looked at Hermione. "So what took you two so long then?"

Hermione's face started to blush. What _had_ taken them so long? "Oh, I'm not really sure. We were just dragging our feet, I suppose. Big breakfast, you know…" she trailed off and let her eyes fall to the desk, trying not to meet Harry's knowing smile. The red on Ron's face was becoming more and more prominent as he realized they didn't have a good reason to be late other than the fact that they had been lost in conversation, much like Ginny and Harry had been this morning on their way to breakfast. His eyes started darting around the room as he tried to think of an excuse, but he couldn't come up with anything.

Harry smirked at the sight of Ron's embarrassment. He'd be lying to himself if he said he hadn't enjoyed seeing Ron squirm after all the things he had said to him and Ginny that morning.

"Well, _slowpokes_, next time speed it up maybe, hm?" he chuckled, letting them off easy. The booming voice of Professor Slughorn suddenly rang through the room as the three friends' heads shot up to the front of the class. Hermione tried to keep her focus, but she was in far too good of a mood to think about Potions class. She sneaked a peek to her left, only to catch Ron's eyes quickly darting away from her and back up to the front of the class as he rested his chin in his hand and a slight blush tinged his cheeks. She smiled to herself and focused back on the teacher, but not before seeing a small smile break out on his face from under his hand.

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**A/N:**

**Alright so that was Chapter 2. Again, I know there wasn't a whole lot of excitement but I felt it was important to outline the characters' relationships at this point in the story. I also wanted to show how Hermione/Ron's relationship is improving considering everything.**

**Next chapter will be more exciting, with more focused on the storyline I outlined in the summary. **

**Don't forget to review :) **


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes:**

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far :)**

**This is a LONG chapter, and it's full of angst, with lots of fluff at the end. It's also an important chapter for the whole Death Eater plot development. It takes place directly after the last chapter, so it takes place on the same day.**

**I have also written in Draco's point of view for some parts of this chapter, which is new for this story up until now. **

**Enjoy, and don't forget to review please :)**

**PS: I don't own any of J.K Rowling's characters or storylines, unfortunately. **

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Chapter 4:

The air was silent as Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle walked the halls of Hogwarts, on their way down to the dungeons and back to the Slytherin common room. Goyle said the password and the passage to the common room was revealed, prompting the two boys to enter. The room was adorned with its usual sickly, green glow, and very few members of the Slytherin house were to be found as most of them were still in class. To the right of the entrance, Draco Malfoy was sunk into the side of the sofa, his left arm outstretched on the back of the sofa, and his right one propped up on the arm of the sofa as it held his head up.

After scanning the room, Crabbe and Goyle instantly moved towards Draco's sofa, spotting him sitting alone with his thoughts. Goyle joined him on the other end of the sofa, and Crabbe sat in a chair across from them. Neither of them wanted to speak first, but they could tell something was wrong.

Draco barley flinched at the realization that his friends had joined him. He continued to stare at the wall, his face etched with an expression that could only be described as pure angst. His thoughts were racing, and he wasn't sure he knew how to handle things anymore. He needed to come up with something.

He felt lost, completely astray from the morbid task that Voldemort himself had entrusted Draco with. How could he ever bring himself to kill Dumbledore? He never had that much compassion or guilt about anything, but murder was proving to be different. The thought of being successful in his mission made his stomach churn.

But what choice did he have? If he didn't do it, his family would be at the mercy of the Dark Lord, and there would be no chance for them. As much as he wished the deed had never been given to him, he still had to go through with it: for the sake of his own life, his family's, and for the sake of his mother.

His anger increased as he thought about what could happen to his mother. She hadn't done anything wrong, but if he failed to kill Dumbledore she would surely be killed, along with him and his father who had both failed. He _needed_ to succeed. He might have already done so if certain people hadn't messed everything up.

"Harry Potter and his stupid friends…" he seethed, his eyes still locked onto the wall.

Crabbe and Goyle looked at him, their eyebrows furrowed, and then back at each other hoping that the other had any idea what Draco was on about.

"Err…, what about them, Draco?" asked Goyle.

Draco's head snapped to his left, a furious expression on his face. "What about them? They're ruining everything! They're putting everything on the line for me, and I need to stop them."

"Oh, is this about that mission you were put on?" asked Crabbe, his mind finally clicking.

"Of course it is, you stupid prat," whispered Draco harshly. He looked around with a desperate expression on his face, praying that nobody had heard, but the common room had completely emptied by that point. Just to be safe, he took his wand out from under his robes and he cast the Muffliato charm around them. He couldn't risk this getting out.

"Listen, I already know Potter is on to me. He has no way of proving it, but I know he's been sneaking around. He could find something of importance any day now, and I need to throw him off my trail, even if it's just for a little while until I get this assignment over with. He's not gonna' buy that I'm not involved in anything, but maybe I can get him to think that somebody else is involved too… get him off my case for a while and onto theirs…" His mind started racing again as he thought about who he could frame.

"Well that sounds like a good idea, but who are you gonna' frame? If you frame anyone from Slytherin he's just gonna' keep sniffing aroun' here," said Goyle.

"I know _that_," said Draco, anger still very prominent in his voice. "It has to be someone in Gryffindor. Someone who he'd have never expected. Someone like…" he drifted off as his frown quickly turned up into a devilish smile. "Someone like that filthy Mudblood, Granger- or even better, _Weasley_!"

Crabbe and Goyle broke out into their own malicious smiles as they thought about how such accusations would ruin the trio's friendship. They had no idea what Draco's mission was, but anything that caused those three to suffer had them downright excited.

Draco quickly sat up and leaned forward, a smile still looming on his face. "He'll never believe that Granger has anything to do with it, but Weasley on the other hand… that might not be such a far stretch. His father and brother both work for the Ministry, who've been campaigning against Potter and Dumbledore all year, and him and Potter have had their falling outs before. If I plan this right, I'm sure I could get _Paranoid_ _Potter_ to suspect him," he said with a chuckle.

He stood up, smile still on his face, and said "I've got some business to attend to boys; I'll catch you two twits later." He briskly walked towards the passage to exit the common room, a feeling of reassurance spreading through his body as he thought about what his next steps would be.

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Draco walked through the dungeons and up the castle hallways as quickly as he could. If he could get Snape to cooperate, and he had a feeling he could thanks to Snape's unbreakable vow with his mother, he would be able to plant some incriminating evidence in Ron's dorm that would lead Harry to start suspecting him in assisting the Death Eaters.

As he hastily turned another corner, he noticed one of Slughorn's Potions classes being let out from the classroom ahead of him. He saw Harry, Ron and Hermione briefly talking before he heard Harry say something about going to pick up Ginny from her class. Ron and Hermione started walking down the hall in the opposite direction from Harry, who was heading towards Draco. He decided he might as well get the fire started now while he had the chance as he continued to walk towards Harry with a smirk on his face.

Noticing the taunting expression on his face, Harry quipped "On your way to perform some more dark missions, are you Malfoy?" His face was like a stone as he glared at Draco through narrowed eyes.

Draco chuckled as he stopped in front of Harry. "You say that like _I'm_ the biggest threat to this school right now, Potter."

Harry's eyes narrowed even more so than before. "And what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"All I'm saying is that, maybe, I'm not the only one." He chuckled again as he went to walk around Harry and continue to Snape's office, but he was stopped by Harry stepping to the side and blocking his way.

"Are you trying to tell me that there are more of you walking around here?" Harry's face looked as angry as ever as he stared into Draco's eyes, waiting for an answer.

"It's possible," Draco responded with a slightly devious laugh.

"Who is it?" Harry said with a frustrated tone as his fists clenched. "I want an answer. Now! Tell me who!"

Draco laughed again at his answer. He loved nothing more than seeing Harry riled up over nothing. "Oh come on, Potter, do you really expect me to rat out my own kind? Not likely. It could be anyone though, even someone right under your nose. Someone you thought you could trust…" He chuckled to himself as he moved to walk around Harry, who stood still, staring into the distance where Draco had been standing. This time he was not stopped, and he continued to walk down the hall leaving Harry behind him as smiled to himself knowing that he had planted the seed in Harry's mind.

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Draco raised his fist and knocked on the door, his head darting from side to side making sure he hadn't been followed. He didn't suspect Harry would abandon Ginny to follow him, but it's always possible that Harry's curiosity would get the best of him, especially in the mood Draco had just left him in.

He finally heard footsteps approaching from the other side of the door and put on his best intimidating face. He heard the door click and watched as Snape opened it a crack, his eyes widening slightly as he realized who had knocked on his door. His eyes darted from side to side, evidently having the same worries that Draco had about him being followed. Satisfied that nobody had followed him, he opened the door enough for Draco's body to fit through and stiffly motioned for him to come in.

Draco slipped through the door and Snape shut it behind him as Draco took a seat in front of Snape's desk. He followed suit and walked over to his desk, sitting and folding his arms over each other as they rested on top of it. He stared at Draco, waiting to hear what he had to say.

"I assume you know why I'm here," said Draco, a firm tone to his voice. He didn't have complete trust in Snape, but he needed something from him. He decided that he wasn't going to tell Snape specifically what he needed it for, but he would make it clear that he needed it for the task the Dark Lord had bestowed upon him.

Snape stared back at him, his face still cemented with the same hard expression he always wore. "If my suspicions are accurate, you require my assistance with a certain _dark_ task. Am I correct?"

"You are. I need something, and I'm sure that you have it." Draco kept his eyes locked with Snape's, careful to keep his mind closed using the Occlumency skills that he had learned from his aunt Bellatrix.

"Funny that you need my help now after the way you reacted the last time I tried to help you."

Draco thought back to when Snape had gotten him off the hook for snooping around Slughorn's Christmas party. He hadn't wanted any help from Snape, but he was running out of time. He felt his fists clench before snapping "I think you have no choice, unless you intend on breaking your vow with my mother."

Snape's face kept its expression as his eyes stared into Draco's. "Very well. What is it that you need?"

"I need a vial of Polyjuice Potion. I had some at my disposal for a while, but I had to use it all throughout the year. I could brew some myself, but it takes at least a month and I don't have the time."

Snape kept their eyes locked as the corners of his mouth pulled up ever so slightly to form a tiny smile. "Based on the skills I witnessed from you after many years of teaching you Potions and the such, it's my guess that you probably _couldn't_ make Polyjuice Potion… but that's not the point here. What do you intend on using it for?" His words were as slow and as gravely as they ever were.

Draco ignored his comment on his potion-brewing skills. "It's none of your business, Snape. All you need to know is that I need it to help with the Dark Lord's task, and if you chose not to help me you chose to break your vow."

Snape's smile disappeared as his face hardened once more. He continued to stare at Draco for a few more seconds before standing up from his desk and mechanically walking to a cupboard behind him that had been sealed shut. He took out his wand and muttered some counter charms before the cupboard finally opened. Inside it were many different vials, all unlabelled and of different colours. After sorting through them, he finally found the right vial and removed it from the cupboard. He sealed the cupboard with more charms before turning on his heel and walking towards Draco.

"I assume you know how to use this? You will still need to add a piece of the individual in which you-"

"I know how it works," snapped Draco, standing up from his chair and snatching the vial. Snape remained still, staring down at him with his arm still outstretched. He looked ready to snap, but he took in a deep breath and reigned his mood in.

"Very well. If you need more help don't hesitate to ask. The Dark Lord has been eagerly awaiting you to complete his task for him." He lowered his arm back to his side and walked towards the door of his office, and then motioned for Draco to leave, locking his eyes with Draco's once more.

Draco huffed as he brushed past him and stomped out the door. Relieved that that encounter was over with, he hurried back to the Slytherin common room and up to his dorm to sort out the rest of his plans. He patiently waited until the Gryffindor quidditch practice after that day's classes before sneaking down to the quidditch pitch and into the locker rooms, hoping he wouldn't be found before they came back.

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A little while after Ron's quidditch practice, he and Hermione were sitting in the Gryffindor common room, both trying to work on their Potions essays. As much as Ron wanted to be able to work on his essay, he just couldn't find the motivation in himself to write more than a couple sentences. He looked to his right at Hermione who, completely focused on the assignment, had already written 10 or more paragraphs since they had started working on them over an hour ago. Suddenly noticing his eyes on her, she looked up at him and then down at his scroll that had barely anything on it.

"You know, Ron, the essay doesn't write itself," she teased with a sly smile.

Ron let out an exasperated sigh as he leaned back into the sofa. "I know they don't. Well, not yet, anyways. Give it a few more years and I'm sure the twins will come up with some sort of essay-writing quills," he chuckled, smiling at how true it probably was.

"Well I'm sure any essay written by one of _their_ quills would be riddled with jokes and mistakes," retorted Hermione with a slight laugh. Evidently deciding that it was a good time for a break, she laid her quill down on the coffee table and rolled up her scroll. She laid back into the other side of the sofa and crossed her arms as she threw her head backwards and looked up to the ceiling.

"How do you think Ginny and Harry's date is going?" She smiled again at the thought of how happy they both probably were.

Ron rolled his eyes and sighed. "Again with the Harry and Ginny thing? I'm sure it's going fine, they're both completely batty for each other, that much is obvious." He really didn't want to think about what they could be up to.

"I know, it's so romantic! I'm really happy for them both. I bet they're having a great time."

"First you thought their walk to class this morning was romantic, and now you think sitting in the muddy grass of the quidditch pitch and eating food is romantic? You girls are mental sometimes, I swear."

Hermione groaned at his lack of romance as she flung her head forward to look at him. "No, Ron. It's not the fact that they're sitting in mud, just like how it wasn't the fact that they were walking, it's just..." she sighed and flung her head back again. "Never mind. Explaining this to _you_ is like trying to explain romance to a tree stump."

"Oi!" snapped Ron, his head snapping to his right to face Hermione. "I can be plenty romantic! At least more so than a bloody _tree_. I just don't see what's so romantic about sitting in mud."

Hermione groaned again and sat up to face him. "I told you; it's not that they're sitting in mud! It's the fact that it's their first date and they like each other so much. It's cute, Ron!"

Ron rolled his eyes again. "Fine, okay, yeah, _cute_," he said sarcastically, holding up his hands in a defensive position. "But it's not romantic. I'm happy that they're happy, but I'm not gonna' say that eating in the mud is romantic." His face was determined. How could eating in the bloody mud be romantic? Ron loved food as much as the next guy, but even _he_ wouldn't want to eat in the mud.

Hermione rolled her eyes at his response. "You're so stubborn sometimes, honestly, Ron. At least the stump wouldn't argue back." She flung her head back and stared at the ceiling for the third time.

Ron scoffed with an irritated look on his face and snapped "The bloody stump can sod off for all I care! I'm a hundred times more romantic than the stump, believe me."

Hermione's head shot up again, a frustrated expression on her face, and Ron wondered how she hadn't already developed neck problems from flinging her head back and forward like that.

"Ron, the stump is an inanimate object! It doesn't _actually_ have a sense of romance. Now you're just being silly."

Ron huffed and crossed his arms before sinking back into the sofa. "Fine," he said, realizing how worked up he was getting over a tree stump.

"But it's still probably more romantic than you…" he heard Hermione say in a low, quiet voice as her eyes rolled around in her head.

"Alright, that tears it!" he snapped, his voice getting louder and his anger bubbling up again as he sat up straight. "I'm not just being silly now! How can you possibly believe that a bloody tree stump is more romantic than me: a living, breathing, person capable of feelings and thought? You're out of your mind, Hermione, really! Completely bonkers!" He knew how much she hated being referred to as being mental or anything of the sort, but this was getting ridiculous.

Hermione, her mouth hanging open as she was startled by his expression, looked completely offended before snapping back. "Well I don't have any reason to believe otherwise, do I? You clearly don't understand the romance of walking a girl to her class, or a first date, and I've never seen you do anything remotely romantic, ever! There's not a romantic bone in your body, Ron. I'm not even sure you're capable of experiencing romantic feelings that go beyond wanting to snog. There's more to romance than that! The only thing _you've_ ever been capable of feeling is lust and hunger. You're just a _cold_, _insensible_ teenage boy, that's all you are." Hermione huffed and crossed her arms after finishing her rant, looking completely furious.

Ron looked at her, an angry yet shocked look drawn on his face. Isn't capable of experiencing romantic feelings? Why did she have to go there? She had no idea what his feelings were capable of. As much as he wished sometimes that he _didn't _have those feelings, as there was nothing more capable of keeping him awake at night or making him feel downright miserable, they were there more than ever. He was starting to feel hurt by her assumptions and her view of him. He decided this was more than just her teasing him, and that this was clearly her genuine opinion. The girl he'd had romantic feelings for for years was accusing him of not being able to feel romantic feelings, and he became more irritated and frustrated than ever.

His angry expression changed into that of somebody who was noticeably very hurt, and Hermione must have suddenly realized that she had gone too far. Her face softened and she looked apologetic as she quickly uncrossed her arms and leaned in towards him before trying to make-up for what she had said.

"Ron, I-"

"Forget it, Hermione," he interrupted with a low rumble as he held up his hand to stop her, unable to contain his anger. "I may not be as sensitive as _you_, or _Harry_, or _Ginny_, or _anyone_ else for that matter, but I still have feelings. They may not be all out in the open like everyone else's, but they're still _there_!" he snapped as he leaned in a little closer and gripped his hand to his chest. His voice softened a little bit before continuing. "And right now they're hurt, to be perfectly honest. You have no idea what kinds of feelings I have for anyone, because trust me, they're there. Just because you aren't aware of them doesn't mean they don't exist." His eyes were completely glazed over and his expression softened as he lowered his hand. This was becoming more intense than he was prepared for, and now all he wanted was for it to go away. He wasn't used to talking about his feelings like this with anyone, not even Harry.

Hermione stared at him, her eyes full of sadness and pity, as she scooted closer to him on the sofa until their thighs were nearly a foot away from each other. "Ron, I'm sorry, I just took it too far. I didn't mean to say that about you. Of course you have feelings, romantic or not, and I should be more mindful of that." She placed her hand on his and pleaded "Please don't be upset with me."

Ron looked up at her, her eyes on the verge of tears, and he started to feel guilty for snapping. He could tell she felt badly about what she had said, and he couldn't bear to see the sadness in her eyes for more than a second. They had been getting along so well up until now, and he wanted to get back to that.

"It's okay… I just… well, it makes me upset to think that you don't think I have feelings like everyone else. Is that really how you see me?"

"No, of course not, Ron," she said, her head shaking. "I was just letting my frustration control what I say. I shouldn't have said any of it. That's not how I see you at all."

"Good," he said, his face softening some more as he looked down to her hand that was still resting on top of his. "Because I don't think I could deal with you thinking that way of me. Like I'm some… monster, or something. Not again." He shuddered internally as he thought about her ever looking at him in that way again, and his face started to turn red at the realization of what he had let slip out.

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed at the words "not again". A curious look was painted on her face as she asked softly "Ron, what do you mean 'not again'?"

Ron's face was full of sadness now as he thought about how disgusted she had been with his behaviour around Lavender. He looked up and said with a sad tone to his voice "Oh, come on, Hermione, the way you looked at me when I was with Lavender? I mean, I know now you were mostly upset because I was ignoring you and all… but you can't tell me you weren't also disgusted whenever we, you know… snogged or whatever. You even said it yourself a minute ago, that all I care about is snogging. But you're wrong, and I don't want you to think that way about me. She just _always_ wanted to snog, and I might not have had the strongest feelings for _her,_ but I do still have them... And it did upset me to see the way you looked at me. Like I'm some… horrible, _awful_ person… who doesn't have feelings or anything. Your friendship means a lot to me and I don't think I can handle that again." He could feel the tips of his ears starting to burn hotter at his admission, but he really didn't care. All he could think about was her looking at him like some sort of cold-hearted animal.

Hermione's hand, still resting on his, gently picked his up and held it on her lap. Both of her hands started cupping and intertwining with his one as she stared back at him with a disheartened expression. Ron looked down at their hands and felt his defensive walls start to come down and his heart race at the feeling of their hands tangled together. She finally spoke and he raised his eyes to meet hers once more.

"Ron, I'll admit I was a little put off by seeing… that… every time I rounded a corner," she said as she looked down at their hands and started playing with his fingers. "But I never saw you as some sort of _monster_. It's not like you're the first boy to have ever snogged. And I could _never_ see you as a monster. We've been friends long enough by now for me to know that there is a lot of good and amazingly _wonderful_ things about you… even if you drive me completely insane sometimes," she said with a slight smile as she raised her head again.

Ron couldn't help but smile a little at the last part and Hermione giggled lightly at the sight of him smiling again. He started to feel better as the anger and hurt flushed out of him at the sound of her laugh.

"So, you don't see me as just some _'cold, insensible, teenage boy'_, then?" he asked in a mocking tone, a small smile still on his face.

Hermione let out a light gasp and bit her bottom lip to try to keep from laughing as she smiled at his joking tone. "I can't believe I called you that!" she said, still trying to suppress her laugh as her face started to turn pink and she bowed her head to look down at their hands again. Ron chuckled at her reaction as he gripped his fingers tighter around hers and looked down at her. She looked up again and he stared into her dark eyes, desperately waiting to hear her answer.

"Ron," she started, their eyes still locked, "I need you to trust me when I say I didn't mean that. At all." She smiled up at him reassuringly and he nodded in agreement and smiled back. His breathing hitched as he felt her soft thumbs gently stroking his hand, and his eyes remained fixed in hers as he soon found himself completely lost in them. He braced himself for when she would eventually look away and carry on with what she was doing like she always did, but to his delight her eyes stayed where they were, looking back into his. The smile still lingered on both of their faces and he thought about how comfortable he felt just staring into her gaze.

After what felt like an eternity, they were suddenly interrupted as they heard someone quickly fling open the portrait hole and enter the room. Hermione and Ron both jumped at the sound of the portrait swinging and hitting the wall and they quickly detangled their fingers as Ron pulled his hand out of hers. Their faces were both red as they hoped that whoever it was that had entered hadn't seen the position they had been in, and Hermione scooted over a little bit to put some distance between her and Ron. She folded her hands together in her lap and stared ahead at the fire as Ron's face grew impossibly redder and he began rubbing the back of his neck with the hand he had pulled away from Hermione. He cleared his throat and turned his head around to see who it was that had burst into the room with such force and interrupted one of the best moments in his life so far.

Seamus Finnigan was walking through the entrance and into the common room. He stopped to look around for a second, almost as if he had never been in the common room before. Spotting the stairs, he started heading towards them with a quick pace and began climbing them.

"Seamus!" cried Ron, a little confused at his behaviour. "What in the bloody hell are you doing smashing through the portrait hole like that? You almost scared us half to death!"

Seamus stopped in his tracks and turned around to look where the voice was coming from until he saw Ron and Hermione sitting on the sofa. "Oh… sorry, Weas- err… Ron. I was just err… heading up to the dorm. Long day and all…" He quickly turned on his heel and continued back up the stairs. Ron narrowed his eyes at him as he disappeared. He thought maybe Seamus had seemed a little bit off. Nervous about something, maybe? Or maybe he was just overly tired? Something was different, whatever it was.

Clearing his mind of those thoughts, Ron turned his head back towards Hermione who was still staring at the fire with a pink tint in her cheeks. Normally he would tell himself that everything that had just happened between them was of a friendly nature, but for some reason he was thinking differently this time. If he hadn't known any better, he would have thought that she was just as happy to be staring into his eyes a minute ago as he was hers. He was used to staring into her eyes and drooling over her whenever he had the opportunity, but what he wasn't used to was her not looking away. That, combined with her current embarrassment and the way she had been holding his hand earlier, had suddenly given him a tiny sliver of hope that maybe, she might actually be starting to return the feelings he had been harbouring for her for years. It was like Harry had said to him the night earlier: anything was possible.

He felt somewhat more confident than he had before as he thought back to what she had told him moments earlier. She had assured him that she never thought of him as a monster, which made him feel over the moon to hear, but she had also mentioned that there were a lot of "good and wonderful" things about him. Emphasis on the "wonderful".

His curiosity peaked as he wondered to himself what it was that she thought was so wonderful about him. His confidence picked up again and he suddenly felt very mischievous. He smirked as Hermione continued to stare at the fire, obviously trying not to make eye contact.

"Hermione?" he asked, a sinful tone in his voice, as he sat up straight to look at her closer.

Hermione, a little confused by his sudden change in mood, turned her head to meet his with a furrowed brow. She smiled a little bit at the sight of him smirking at her. "What?" she asked, her eyes narrowing at him.

"Oh, nothing…" he said, his left elbow resting on top of his knees as he used his left hand to prop up his head. "It's just that earlier, you said something about me that's sparked my curiosity." His smile turned into a devilish, lopsided grin as he watched her eyebrows furrow some more and the pink flush back into her cheeks. He couldn't help but feel more confident in his theory of her returning the feelings.

"Oh, really?" she said, clearly acting as though she had no idea what he was referring to. "And what would that be?"

"I was just wondering what these 'good and wonderful' things are." He continued to stare at her with a grin still plastered on his face and raised eyebrows as he watched her eyes start to dart around the room. Watching her squirm was surprisingly satisfying when he knew that it could mean she might have similar feelings for him to what he had for her.

"Oh, that. Right…" she said softly as she trailed off. Her face grew hotter as she tried to come up with something. "Well, I don't know, really... I guess I could say that you've always been able to make me laugh, even when I'm upset. That's a good quality."

Ron stared at her, smile still dancing on his face, as he waited for her to continue. After a few seconds of silence he chuckled and asked jokingly "So is that it then? I'm funny?"

Hermione giggled and turned her body on the sofa to face him again as her embarrassment fizzled away. "Well, no, that's not all, if you'd let me finish…" she teased, rolling her eyes.

Ron chuckled again. "Alright, sorry. Go on then! I'd love to hear more."

Hermione laughed. "Of course you would. Well, let's see… you're loyal… you've always been a great friend to Harry and me… and, err…"

"Oh, please, don't strain yourself trying to come up with something else," Ron joked, laughing at her struggle to come up with more things.

Hermione laughed again. "Oh, stop, Ron. There are plenty of things I could name; you just kind of put me on the spot is all! Now where was I…" she said, ignoring Ron as he rolled his eyes and laughed again. "Well, you're very brave, that's for sure. I don't know many people who would stick out a friendship with Harry Potter after everything you two have been through."

Ron felt the need to cut in for a third time. "Oi, don't sell yourself short in that department. You've been with us through most of it as well!" he exclaimed with a smile.

Hermione smiled back at him. "I suppose, but even I wouldn't go into a dark forest full of spiders like you did in second year. And you're absolutely _terrified_ of spiders!" she laughed.

Ron scoffed in a mocking way and gripped his chest as he pretended to be offended. "Oi! I'm not _terrified;_ they just creep me out! They're evil, those things." He shuddered at the thought of the excessive amount of spiders that had been in that forest all at one time.

Hermione laughed at his shudder. "Fine, whatever you say Ronald." Ron chuckled and rolled his eyes at the use of his full name as he propped his head up again with his hand.

"But my most favorite thing about you would have to be how much you care about your friends and family," she said with a sweet smile as she looked back into his eyes. "The way you're always trying to look out for Ginny, or sticking up for your brothers, or your parents… and especially the way you've always had Harry's back with everything he's been through. Kidnapping him with a flying car, sacrificing yourself on that chess board in first year, letting him stay with you at the Burrow to get away from those awful family members of his, the list could go on and on really." She began moving closer to him on the couch again as she spoke. "You've always had my back as well. Remember the time you tried to curse Malfoy with your broken wand for calling me a Mudblood in second year?" she asked as she giggled at the memory.

Ron laughed with her. "Ugh, how could I not? Those slugs tasted absolutely _disgusting_. Bloody wand…"

Hermione laughed with him. "Yes, well I do appreciate it. It was very sweet of you." She smiled back at him as her hand found his for the second time that evening, and this time it was his turn for his face to turn red as he felt the blush seep through his cheeks.

"Well, err… you're welcome," he said softly, suddenly feeling very shy again as it occurred to him how close they had gotten for the second time that evening. "You know I'd do it again in a heartbeat, Hermione." His blush deepened in colour as she continued to look at him with that heartwarming smile that seemed to melt him inside.

"I know, Ron," she said softly, keeping their eyes locked. She started to rub the back of his hand again and he felt his heart swell as they stared into each other's eyes for another while longer.

A sudden thumping down the stairs caused them to nearly jump out of their skins as they pulled their hands apart once more and looked towards the stairs to see who it was. The sight of Seamus had Ron's frustration growing impossibly larger. Twice in the span of 10 minutes had he ruined things!

"Seamus?" he questioned loudly, suddenly remembering that he had just claimed to be going to bed a few minutes ago. Seamus ignored him and rushed towards the portrait hole. Becoming even more frustrated, Ron shouted again. "Oi! Seamus, where are you going mate? You just said you were going to bed 10 minutes ago! Now you're leaving again?"

Seamus didn't acknowledge him as he rushed for the entrance and out of the portrait hole. Ron stared at his departure in disbelief before turning to Hermione once more.

"I wonder what the bloody hell got up his arse and died! I get that he had a 'long day', but completely ignoring me like that, honestly? That's just rude." He crossed his arms as Hermione tried to supress a giggle.

The sound of the portrait being opened again caused them to whip back around to face the entrance. "Coming back already? What the _hell's_ gotten into him?" asked Ron, a completely baffled expression on his face.

They waited for Seamus to come rushing back into the common room, but to their surprise they found it wasn't Seamus at all. Harry and Ginny had come back from their date, both laughing at something they had been talking about.

Suddenly realizing who had walked in, Ron and Hermione stood sat up straight trying to look as innocent as possible as Hermione put some distance between them on the sofa once more. Ron knew they had been sitting fairly close to each other for a sofa that only had 2 occupants, but he was hoping Harry hadn't noticed.

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**A/N:**

**OUUU, what is Draco planning? How did Harry and Ginny's date go? What will happen with Ron and Hermione? And what is up with Seamus? Well I already know the answer to all these questions, but you guys don't! :)**

**So that was Chapter 4! I hope you guys liked it. I know Ron had a particularly angst-y moment there, but I felt like it was important for this chapter so you guys can get an idea of what he thought Hermione's view of him was. It's will be a common theme in this story ;D **

**Don't forget to review, it means a lot to hear what you guys thing about my first story! :)**

**-ArticulateFiction**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed this far! It really means a lot to me to see your guys' opinions and compliments, so thanks again!**

**This chapter is again taking place the same day as the last chapter. They kind of overlap, actually. If you haven't read the chapter before this one, you may need to do so in order to understand what's going on here. It's not that confusing though, don't worry!**

**This chapter is focussing more on my plot rather than Ron/Hermione fluff. We see Draco implement his plan, a Ron/Harry moment, and then there's Harry's point of view at the end here, which I haven't done before. I found Harry a bit more difficult to write compared to other characters, so hopefully I got it to everyone's liking!**

**Don't forget to review and leave your thoughts! Enjoy! :)**

**PS: I own none of the Harry Potter characters or its story. They come from the marvellous mind of J.K. Rowling!**

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Chapter 5:

Draco Malfoy was standing behind a tree near the outskirts of the courtyard, trying to stay out of view from his fellow students. He was almost certain he was out of sight, but just to be sure, he double checked to make sure nobody was around him. Deciding he was out of sight and alone, he pulled a small transparent vial out from his robes and held it up to his face to examine.

The liquid inside was of a pale blue colour and was relatively thick. He watched it slowly move around inside the vial as he shook it at eye level. His nose crinkled at the sight of how much thicker it was than the Polyjuice Potions based off two young girls he had been getting Crabbe and Goyle to use when he had them watch guard while he was in the Room of Requirement.

Finally refocusing on the task at hand, he quickly pushed the idea of how thick and sludgy it looked out of his mind. He pulled the stopper out from the vial and quickly downed half of the potion in one swift motion, and his face immediately cringed at the taste and the feeling of the thick potion dripping down his throat. He hadn't expected it to taste amazing, but the taste still caught him off guard.

He suddenly began to pant as he felt his body start to morph and his proportions change, and he transformed from Draco Malfoy into Seamus Finnigan. Once the transformation was complete, he wobbled backwards and fell against the tree, still panting from the alterations to his body.

He looked down at his hands and saw that they were definitely not his own, but he pulled out a mirror from his bag and checked to make sure he did, in fact, look like Seamus. He smiled diabolically at the reflection of Seamus staring back at him before shoving the mirror back in his bag. He pulled out a Gryffindor robe and tie that he had stolen from Seamus' locker at the same time he had stolen one of Seamus' hairs during his and the other Gryffindor's quidditch team practice. He quickly swapped his own tie and robe for the stolen ones and shoved his to the bottom of the bag before throwing it over his shoulder and heading for the nearest door to the castle.

As he winded down the hallways on his way to the portrait hole to enter the Gryffindor common room, he desperately hoped that the real Seamus wouldn't pass by. He kept his hand on his wand and was prepared to cast a Disillusionment charm on himself if necessary.

His pace quickened as he shot through the hallways, his nerves kicking in at the thought of being caught. Once he saw the portrait hole, he ran to it covering the last stretch of hallway and whispered the password, wildly shaking his head around to make sure the real Seamus wasn't in sight. He really should have come up with a way to distract him for the night before taking on his persona…

The portrait finally opened and he pushed through it with such panic and force that it swung and hit the wall with a loud bang. He winced at the noise he made but quickly entered the Gryffindor common room, looking around again to make sure Seamus or anyone else wasn't there. Satisfied that nobody was around, he found the stairs and started to climb them.

"Seamus!"

Draco stopped in his tracks, the panic inside him growing again at the realization that there _were_ people in the common room. How could he have missed it? He turned around and scanned the room, trying to figure out where the voice had come from.

"What in the bloody hell are you doing smashing through the portrait hole like that? You almost scared us half to death!"

His breath hitched as he suddenly realized he recognized the voice shouting at him, and his fears were confirmed as he finally laid eyes on Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger looking up at him from a sofa over by the fire that he clearly hadn't checked when he entered. Not wanting Ron to follow him to their dorm, he tried to come up with something that wouldn't worry him and cause him to follow.

"Oh… sorry, Weas- err… Ron. I was just err… heading up to the dorm. Long day and all…"

What the hell was that? He became even more nervous at the sight of Ron's confusion, but it eventually faded and he saw Ron nod his head. It wasn't all that convincing, but it would have to do. He quickly spun around on his heel as the sound of blood pounding through his ears picked up and he ran up the rest of the stairs. Once he reached Ron's dorm, he slowly opened the door just enough to be able to check who was in there. He inwardly sighed with relief at the sight of an empty room, and slipped through the door before silently closing it behind him.

He wasn't entirely sure which one of the trunks at the end of the beds was Ron's. He looked around for any indication at which one would be his before finally spotting a pile of dirty clothes. The pile had what looked to be like an older, more worn out jumper, almost as if it was handed down.

He smirked and maliciously chuckled to himself as he checked the trunk at the foot of the bed with the pile of clothes. Sure enough, he found text books with Ron's name in them, as well as a jumper with the Weasley name printed on it.

Happy to have found this was Ron's trunk, he plopped his bag down on the floor beside him and pulled out a notebook as he sat down on Ron's bed. He opened the cover of the book and two pieces of paper fell out onto his lap: one he had ripped out of a book that had a section on Unforgiveable Curses, and one that had come from a book full of malicious spells and poisons.

The first paper had the instructions to perform the Imperius Curse on one side, which he had underlined and circled with pen, and instructions to perform the Killing Curse on the other side. He stuck it out of the trunk in a way that was just noticeable enough for someone to find it, but not enough that it looked like it had been placed there on purpose.

The second paper had instructions on how to create the same poison he had attempted to assassinate Dumbledore with when he mixed it in with a bottle of mead. He placed it on the floor directly underneath the first paper that was sticking out from the top of the trunk.

Satisfied that somebody would notice them if they were to walk by, he grabbed his bag and snuck out of the dorm. All he needed now was for someone to see what kind of dark magic was on those papers. He was certain that if they did they would confront Ron with them. Harry would then find out, and hopefully he would be smart enough to piece together that the Imperius Curse was the same spell that Draco had cast on Katie Bell so that she would give the cursed necklace to Dumbeldore.

All he had to do next was get out of the Gryffindor common room and back to his own without being spotted by the real Seamus, and he would be home free. Quickly dashing down the stairs, he heard Ron call out Seamus' name once more. He decided to ignore it, as he just wanted to be out of there without a hitch, but Ron was persistent and called out again.

"Oi! Seamus, where are you going mate? You just said you were going to bed 10 minutes ago! Now you're leaving again?" shouted Ron.

He ignored it again as his heart rate picked up and his nerves started to tighten at the thought of being caught. He would have no good explanation for what he was doing if he was caught, and he was running the risk of ruining his entire mission assigned to him by the Dark Lord. The thought of what he would do to Draco and his family if the mission failed had Draco panicking worse than ever. He rushed out the portrait hole and turned to his left, but found himself colliding with somebody else.

He started apologizing as he looked up to see who it was, and he felt his heart race unimaginably faster at the sight of Harry Potter staring back at him with widened eyes and a worried look on his face.

"Alright there, Seamus?" he asked, concern in his voice and a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah…" he managed to squeak out, as he quickly looked around and then nodded before stepping around Harry. He didn't look back as he hurried down the hallways and turned the corner. Releived to be out of that situation, he rushed as quickly as he could to a bathroom and waited for the Polyjuice potion to wear off before making his way back to the dungeons and the Slytherin common room.

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Harry and Ginny had come back to the common room following their date, both laughing at something they had been talking about. As soon as they spotted Hermione and Ron sitting on the sofa they started smiling at each other and moved towards them.

Suddenly realizing who had walked in, Ron and Hermione sat up straight trying to look as innocent as possible, and Hermione put some distance between them on the sofa once more. Ron knew they had been sitting fairly close to each other for a sofa that only had 2 occupants, but he was hoping Harry hadn't noticed.

"Hey guys!" Said Hermione enthusiastically. "Did you have a nice time?"

Ginny grinned back at her. "We did! It was very lovely," she said, smiling up at Harry. Ron felt his eyes instinctively roll at the giddiness in her voice.

Harry smiled back at her and then smiled at Ron and Hermione. "And how about you two? Did _you _have a good time?" He gave Ron a knowing smirk and Ron's face flushed as he realized that Harry had to have noticed how close they had been on the sofa.

"Oh, err… yeah. We just spent the night working on our essays. You know, same old, same old…" he trailed off as Harry tried not to laugh at his excuse. Out of the corner of his eye, Ron could see Hermione's face flush and she awkwardly looked down at her hands, trying to avoid everyone's eyes.

"Sounds wonderful," Harry replied, still trying to keep his laughter at bay. Ron glared up at him and realized Ginny must have caught on too, as she was trying not to laugh as well.

Regaining her composure, Ginny let out a casual yawn and stretched her arms. "Well, I think I'm just going to head on up to bed now. I'm pretty tired. Will you be joining me later, Hermione?" she asked, trying to make her tone as plain as possible. It was clear that she was partially trying to rescue Hermione from the awkwardness, but from the look on her face Ron could tell that Ginny was dying to gush about her date.

"Actually, I'm tired as well," Hermione answered. "I think I'll join you." She quickly packed her things into her bag and stood up. "Goodnight, Ron. I'll see you in the morning?" she asked, an anticipating smile on her face. Ron nodded his head with a small smile in return.

"Yeah, sure," he said sweetly. He continued to smile back at her and hoped she didn't notice the disappointment in his voice. He had wanted her to stay down in the common room with him, but he was sure she probably wanted to hear all the girly details about Ginny's date upstairs.

Hermione and Ginny both said goodnight to Harry and headed up the stairs to their dorms. Ron followed Hermione with his eyes as he watched her leave, barley noticing Harry sit down beside him on the sofa. After a few more seconds, Harry cleared his throat and Ron shot his head over to the other side of him to see Harry smirking at him with the same smile he had given him when he asked about his evening minutes ago.

"Oh, sorry, Harry…" was all he could come up with as Harry kept from trying to laugh again.

"So I take it you had a good night then?" asked Harry, his smirk turning up into a grin.

Ron chuckled at his friend's assumption. Only Harry knew him well enough to have known what sort of night he had had just by looking at him. He'd never get away with trying to deny it. Besides, it wasn't like he hadn't already confessed to Harry that he fancied Hermione.

"Yeah. I spent the whole night with Hermione, so I reckon it was all right," he said in a joking tone, a huge grin of his own growing on his face. "How about yours?"

Harry chuckled and grinned back at him. "The same as yours, I'm sure. Maybe with a bit more mud," he laughed, looking down at his muddy shoes. "The quidditch pitch might not have been my best idea yet, but it was still a good time."

Ron laughed with him at the sight of his muddy shoes. "Well, glad to hear you had fun. And I hope you were a perfect gentleman to my sister, Harry, because if not, I'm gonna' find out." He was partly teasing, but part of him still wanted to make sure that Harry had taken care of the only sister he had.

Harry smiled back at him. "Oh, come on, Ron. When have I ever _not _been a perfect gentleman?" he joked. "Of course I was! I opened all the doors, made all the food, and used all my manners. I was probably the gentlest man to have ever been."

Ron laughed at his answer. "Good. Not that I was worried, but I just wanted to make sure."

Harry smiled gently back at him. "I know, Ron. You're a good brother." His face then changed moods, and he suddenly looked very nervous as he looked down at the ground. "Which is why I think you deserve to hear this from me before anyone else…" he trailed off, still looking at the ground.

Ron's amusement suddenly transformed into worry as he watched Harry stare at the ground. What could it possibly be this time? Was he already thinking of dumping his sister? How could he be tired of her after one bloody date? He knew she could be annoying at times, but even _he _thought that was harsh. His eyebrows were furrowed and his facial expression was like stone as he stared at Harry.

Harry pulled his eyes up from the floor and looked up in Ron's general direction, still avoiding making direct eye contact. "Now, I know you already said you were okay with this… but I know your temper, and I just want to remind you that you were the one who said you were okay with me dating your sister." He finally caught Ron's confused expression before continuing. "Promise you won't be mad?"

Ron narrowed his eyes at him. This was starting to become very similar to when Harry had confessed to him that he liked Ginny the night before.

"Okay, you're making me nervous again here, Harry. What did you do?"

Harry winced before answering him. "Well, I just thought you should know… I err… well, I err, kissed Ginny tonight." His face was turning pink and he pulled a "Ron" as he started rubbing the back of his neck, his eyes darting around the room trying not meet Ron's.

Ron let out a disgusted groan and buried his face in his hands as he shook his head back and forth. "Ugh!" he moaned, wishing that Harry hadn't decided to share. "I _really_ didn't need to hear that, mate."

"Sorry…" said Harry shyly. "I just thought you should know."

Ron sighed, uncovered his face, and laid back in the sofa as he let his arms flop down on either side of him. He looked over at Harry who was watching him with an apologetic expression. The look on Harry's face made him think about him and his sister snogging again, and he scrunched up his nose and grimaced as he shook his head a second time.

He eventually calmed down again and said "Look, Harry, I appreciate you giving me a heads up, but I really wish I hadn't heard that. My best mate and my sister, snogging… ugh!" He shuddered dramatically as the thought crossed his mind again. "I knew this would be weird, but holy hell! It's quite disgusting to think about, you know! So I need you to _not_ tell me things like that anymore, okay? I'm not gonna' get mad… it's more gross than anything else, really."

Harry finally smiled and tried not to laugh at Ron's reaction. "Okay, deal. I just wanted to make sure you weren't going to be upset with me over any of this."

Ron tried to give him his best reassuring smile. "Harry, I already told you that as long as you treat her right, and I'm pretty confident that you will, then I don't have a problem with it. It's still gonna' gross me out, but I'm not upset. Okay?" As strange as it was for him to think of them as dating, he still preferred Harry over any other boy at the school. And he was genuinely happy for Harry and Ginny, despite the teasing he had put them through that day.

Harry smiled back at him and nodded. "Good. Well now that that's sorted I think I'm gonna' head up to bed. Are you coming?"

"In a little bit. I'm just gonna' sit down here for a while. I'll see you up there?"

"Sure," said Harry, standing up from the sofa and gently slapping Ron on his back before wandering over to the stairs.

After Harry had left, Ron stared at the fire for a while, watching the flames dance. He smiled to himself as the thoughts of his night with Hermione pushed out the disturbing thoughts that Harry had planted about him and Ginny.

He thought about how upset she had been when he was angry with her, and how she had been holding his hand in an attempt to comfort him. At that moment it was clear that she cared about their relationship, whether platonic or not. But then there was that moment, however brief it was, where they had been looking into each other's eyes, and he was certain there had been a spark between them. Maybe it was just his imagination trying to give him the thing that he wanted more than anything else, but he really hoped that his suspicions were accurate.

After another 15 minutes of staring at the fire with his thoughts, he decided that the only way he'd ever find out how Hermione felt about him was by somehow talking to her about it. But the thought of bringing it up and her finding out that he's had romantic feelings for her since they were young though made his stomach churn. He decided again that waiting it out might be a better option for now as he dragged his feet upstairs, clutching his stomach as it twisted and turned.

He walked to his dorm and silently entered, hoping to be able to get Harry's opinion on the matter. He wasn't usually an open book, but lately he really felt the need to get things out of his system. To his disappointment, Harry was already asleep in his bed, his back turned to the door.

Not wanting to wake Harry up for his petty problems, he tiptoed around the room as he got his pyjamas on and brushed his teeth. Once he was ready for bed, he hopped under the blankets of his own bed and let his thoughts carry him off to sleep.

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Relieved that Ron didn't want to murder him for snogging his sister, Harry wandered up to their dorm and slipped into his room. He looked around, but none of his other roommates had made it up to bed yet. He began undressing to get his pyjamas on, starting with his shirt and then moving on to his trousers.

As he was trying to take his trousers off, one of his feet got stuck in the cuffs and he almost toppled over back into Ron's bed. He caught himself before falling, but heard a crinkling and ripping sound as he looked down to see that he had stepped on some sort of paper. He finished undressing and put his pyjamas on before swooping down to make sure the paper he had ruined wasn't of strong importance. If he knew Ron, he probably wouldn't care anyways if it was anything school related.

He picked up the now tattered paper and was confused to see that it had clearly been ripped out of a book. His eyebrows furrowed as he read what was on the paper. It was instructions on how to create some sort of potion, and there were several different ingredients underlined and circled. His eyes widened at the description. The paper described exactly what would happen to a being that ingests the potion: sudden loss of breath, violent shaking, shut down of organs and immediate death. This wasn't just any potion, this was a lethal _poison_.

Confused as to why instructions for such dark magic were in his dorm, he looked around the floor where he had stepped on it to see where it came from. The floor was empty, with the exception of some of Ron's dirty clothes nearby, but out of the corner of his eye he saw the corner of a similar paper sticking out of Ron's trunk.

He wasn't usually one to go snooping around in his friends' things, but a potion that had the ability to _kill_ gave him enough reason to think he better figure out what was going on. He pulled the rest of the paper out from the lid of the trunk and noticed that it too had been torn from a book.

His eyes widened again at the big, bold letters at the top of the page: "The Imperius Curse". His mind was panicking and his heart sank as he scanned the paper that gave clear instructions on how to perform one of the three Unforgiveable Curses. Performing such a curse was enough to land a wizard or witch in Azkaban! Why was it in Ron's trunk?

He flipped the paper over and felt his heart beat faster as he read another title: "The Killing Curse". His thoughts were racing as he desperately searched his memory for an explanation. Maybe Ron had mentioned something about why these curses would ever been in his trunk or his possession? But to his dismay, he couldn't remember Ron telling him anything about them, nor could he find a reason for why Ron would ever need them.

The thought of Ron feeling the need to hide these papers from him caused his thoughts to swirl and his worry to rise more. What could Ron possibly need to know these curses for? And why would Ron not tell him, his supposed best mate, about them?

He thought back to his brief conversation with Draco Malfoy earlier that day in the halls. He had hinted that somebody who was close to Harry was a bigger threat to this school than himself, but he "wouldn't sell out his own kind". Although Draco hadn't yet admitted it, Harry was nearly certain that he was working as a Death Eater, meaning whoever this other threat was had to have been a Death Eater as well.

Was it possible that he had been talking about Ron? Ron was the closest friend Harry had, and he was one of the few people in the world that Harry trusted with all his secrets and plans over the years. If there was anyone that Voldemort would want to corrupt, Ron would be it.

It had already been determined that Katie Bell had tried to kill Dumbledore under control of the Imperius Curse, so if Ron was working as a Death Eater it would certainly explain why he would need to know that curse. The instructions for the poison that had been on the floor also clearly outlined the effects that the poison in the mead intended for Dumbledore had taken. But it had been Ron himself who was mistakenly poisoned that night by drinking the mead, and he had no way of knowing that Harry would be able to save him. It seemed unlikely that Ron would willingly poison himself that night as part of his plan.

But the Harry remembered why he had drunk the mead in the first place. They had gone to Slughorn with hopes that he would be able to cure Ron of the love potion he had mistakenly ingested. If Ron had been under the influence of the love potion, there's a good chance he would not have been thinking clearly enough to recognize the mead he was drinking as the poisoned one he had made for Dumbledore.

On top of that, Ron had family members working for the Ministry of Magic, which had spent the majority of the past year defaming Harry and Dumbledore. There had been rumors that Voldemort had spies working on the inside of the Ministry, and there was really no way of knowing who was loyal to whom. Both Ron's father and brother Percy were working there. Was it possible they had been working for Voldemort all this time? Had they managed to convince Ron to follow suit?

Harry started to panic at the thought of his best friend betraying him in such a way, and sat down on his bed as he thought some more. Ron had always been the most loyal friend he had, and he knew _everything_ about Harry. If Ron had ever asked him about anything, Harry would have told him in a heartbeat, without a second thought as to why Ron would want to know. Now he was wondering how much he had confided in Ron that could be used to help Voldemort with any plans he had.

His breath hitched in his throat as his eyes darted around the room. He scanned for any other mysterious papers, but as he was looking, he instead laid eyes on a photo of Ron, Hermione and himself from first year that Ron always kept on his bedside table. His panicked expression softened at the sight of the moving photo.

He suddenly felt slightly guilty at the thought of questioning the loyalty of his best friend. Ron had always been the first one to follow him to any danger, sacrificing his life every time he did so. He was always there when Harry needed him to be, and he was always there to make him feel better and get through his problems. How could he ever think that Ron would be involved in something so evil? The tingle of guilt was starting to turn into more of a stab, and he scolded himself for ever thinking such things about his best friend.

He decided it wasn't worth confronting him about tonight, but he would definitely have to show the papers to Hermione tomorrow when he was able to talk with her alone. As much as he hated himself for suspecting Ron, he couldn't let anything get in his way of doing what was right. His friendship with Ron meant a lot to him, but if it _was_ a sham, he wouldn't feel bad for finding out the truth.

Conflicted with his thoughts and suspicions, he decided to go to sleep and sort it out tomorrow with Hermione. He got under the covers, hid the papers under his pillow, and laid his head down on top of it. A few seconds later he heard Ron enter the room, but he feigned sleep to avoid any conversation that could lead to an unwanted argument.

His eyes stayed shut as he listened to his best friend get ready for bed, and he desperately hoped that Ron had nothing to do with Voldemort or Death Eaters. He didn't think he could handle the pain of such a betrayal at this point in his life. Holding out hope that Ron would have some sort of explanation, he eventually drifted off to sleep.

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**So now you all know what was up with Seamus in the last chapter! I'm sure most of you could guess though, haha! I'll post the Chapter 6 next Tuesday, as usual. Next chapter has more Ron/Hermione, I promise. But it won't be all sunshine, and that's all I'll say about it for now! **

**Just a little heads up though, next week I have 3 tests and 3 final projects due, and I, being the cliché procrastinating college student that I am, have not started any of that. So if the week after next week's chapter is delayed, I sincerely apologize. I really hate when that happens with the stories that I follow myself. I will try my hardest to get everything done next week though while still leaving time to write Chapter 7. But next week's chapter will still be on time for sure! It's already written. :)**

**Thanks for reading, and please review with your comments and feedback! :)**

**-ArticulateFiction**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Happy Tuesday! :)**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed and is following the story. I do really appreciate it! And I encourage you all to give more feedback, as I will now be writing the chapters as I go on with the story, instead of having them already written ahead of time. **

**This chapter takes place the next day after the last chapter, and it's a little lengthy. I felt it was an important chapter though. It focuses more on Ron/Hermione's relationship, as well as Harry/Ron's. **

**The next chapter will definitely be more angsty, so enjoy the fluff while you can!**

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Chapter 6:

The morning after Harry and Ginny's first date, Hermione awoke ahead of Ginny as per usual and started getting herself ready for the day. She got dressed, brushed her teeth, and fixed her hair as best as she could. 10 minutes afterwards, she tried to get Ginny to get out of bed.

Several attempts later, Ginny finally complied and got up to get ready for breakfast. She sealed herself in the bathroom like she always did when she did her hair and make-up, leaving Hermione sitting on the edge of her bed with her thoughts.

Hermione was especially anxious to get downstairs this morning. Something about the way her and Ron's night had gone the evening before had her absolutely giddy inside. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she was certain there had been something different. First, they had been working on their essays. Then, they had a row about whether or not Ron had feelings, which she had wholeheartedly regretted. Caught up in her repent, she had started grabbing and holding his hand. She hadn't even noticed she had been doing it at first, but to her delight Ron didn't seem to mind. After that, they had a moment where she had been staring into his eyes, but to her further delight he chose not to pull his eyes away.

It was that gesture that had her feeling very happy this morning. The fact that he didn't want to look away from her any more than she wanted to look away from him. It had her questioning their entire relationship, but not in a bad way. She was starting to convince herself that maybe there _were_ some mutual romantic feelings between them.

The thought of Ron ever wanting to be more than her friend had her feeling like she was on a cloud, but she was trying to remain calm and collected. There was always the possibility that she was reading too much into their interactions last night, and it could cause for some serious disappointment on her side if she had been mistaken. She desperately tried to push her excitement and feelings inside of her, trying to convince herself and everyone around her that she wasn't as eager as she was to see Ron that morning.

After a good 10 more minutes, Ginny finally came out from the bathroom and was ready to go. They left the dorm and headed down the stairs to the common room, eyeing Harry and Ron waiting for them in the same sofa they had been waiting on yesterday morning.

Harry and Ron both rose from the sofa at the sight of the girls coming down and made their way towards them. Hermione saw the smile on Ron's face as he moved towards her, and she couldn't help but smile back with a huge grin. She tried to tone it down when she realized she probably looked like some sort of smiling idiot.

Her smile then dwindled at the sight of Harry's expression. He didn't look as excited as he had been yesterday, and she could tell he was thinking of something unpleasant. Something wasn't right, and she made a mental note to ask him about it in confidence when she had the chance.

"Morning, Harry. Morning, Ron," said Hermione, her excitement picking up again at the sight of Ron smiling back at her.

"Morning," they both said in unison, Ron's voice much more cheery than Harry's.

Ginny smiled at Harry and started making her way for the entrance, and he smiled back as he walked alongside her, suddenly looking a little happier than he had looked when they had first come down. Hermione went to follow behind them, but Ron pulled her back by her elbow.

"Hermione, have you noticed something… unusual… about Harry's mood this morning?" he asked, a clear tone of concern in his voice.

Hermione looked at him and nodded her head as her smile faded. "Yes, I did notice. Any idea what could be wrong?"

Ron looked baffled and shrugged his shoulders. "I haven't the foggiest. Maybe he's just tired or something, but if it keeps up all day I'll probably ask him about it tonight."

Hermione nodded in approval and they both made their way to the entrance, not wanting Harry and Ginny to realize that they had been talking behind them. They quickly caught up with them, but Harry and Ginny hadn't even seemed to notice that Ron and Hermione hadn't been directly behind them the whole time.

After a minute or two of walking, Hermione decided to start a conversation. "So…" started Hermione, trying to break the ice that seemed to form between them every time they went to bed the night before. "Were you fortunate enough to hear all the details of Harry and Ginny's date last night?" she asked in a jokingly sarcastic tone. She laughed at the sight of Ron scrunching up his nose and grimacing.

"Not _all_ the details, but believe me when I say I heard enough. Bloody hell…" he said, shuddering at the memory of Harry telling him about how he had kissed his sister. Hermione couldn't help but keep from laughing again as she caught on to exactly which part of Harry and Ginny's date he had to have been thinking of. He looked down at her laughing and chuckled, his lopsided grin growing across his face.

"I'm surprised he even told you about that!" she half whispered with a big smile of her own, not wanting to be heard by Harry.

"Yeah, well I really, _really_ wish he hadn't," responded Ron with another small laugh. Hermione broke out into a another fit of laughter at the tone of his voice, but quickly covered her smile with her hand as Harry and Ginny both turned their heads around to look at her with furrowed eyebrows and narrowed eyes.

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After breakfast, Hermione and Ron headed for their Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom while Harry walked Ginny to her own class. They had managed to make it to the classroom well before Harry this time, and were sitting at a table waiting for Snape to get there and start the class.

"You know," said Ron, turning to look at Hermione, "I still think there's something up with Harry today. It was something about the expression on his face during breakfast that made him seem, I don't know, distracted. Don't ya' think?" His face was full of worry and concern for his friend, and it was almost enough to make Hermione melt inside as she thought about how cute it was that he cared about Harry so much.

"I think you're right. Maybe it's best you try to talk to him about it tonight?" she finally pushed out, trying to set her feelings for Ron aside for a minute to discuss something serious.

"Yeah, I think I will. It's probably something related to those… things… the ones we aren't supposed to mention out loud," he said quietly, looking around to make sure nobody was listening in on their conversation.

Hermione nodded her agreement and rolled her eyes. "That wouldn't surprise me with the way he's been obsessing over them. Either that, or he'll be on again about Malfoy."

"Yeah. I'm surprised he hasn't driven himself mental by now," responded Ron with a half-smile. "What do you think's taking him so long anyways?"

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe him and Ginny couldn't hold back their desire to snog any longer, so they've gone off and found a broom closet somewhere," she said as casually as possible with a small devilish smirk on her face. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt like getting a rise out of him.

"UGH!" shouted Ron, his face scrunched up and his tongue sticking out in disgust. He shook his head from side to side as Hermione broke out into hysterical laughter from beside him. She figured she might as well have fun with this while she could. After a good minute, her giggles finally slowed as she gripped her heaving chest with one hand and Ron's right arm with the other. He looked down at her hand grasping his arm and then at her face as an amused smile of his own quickly replaced the disgusted expression he had before.

"I'm sorry, Ron," she said, still trying to keep from laughing. "It's just so easy." She looked up at him with a mischievous look and snickered as his face grew an even larger grin in response to her cheekiness.

"Well, I'm glad _you_ find it so funny," he said, chuckling along with her. "You and Harry don't have any siblings, so you guys just don't understand. If only Harry had a sister, then maybe he would-"

He stopped short and his eyes suddenly narrowed a little at her as his face filled with the same pestering amusement that Hermione's had been full of a minute ago.

"Hey, _Hermione,_" he said, the sly grin on his face growing as his arm snaked around her shoulders in a flirtatious way. "You and Harry are pretty much like siblings, wouldn't you say?"

Hermione broke out into more laughter at the sight of his eyebrows wiggling up and down over the sly grin on his face. She knew he was only joking around with her, but the feeling of his arm around her and the proximity of his body to hers had her feeling extra flirty and bold. She might as well go along with it and drag out the moment a little while longer.

"I would say we're just as close as any real siblings, yes," she said, still smirking up at him.

"Oh, really?" replied Ron in a saucy ton, his arm still draped around her. "Well whaddaya' say _we_ go find _our own_ broom closet, hm? That would really stick it to Harry." His eyebrows began wiggling again as he laughed at his own joke.

Hermione casually laughed along, but inside she could feel her heart beating faster than ever and her blood pumping through her at a rate that she was sure was unnatural. The thought of sneaking off to a broom closet with Ron Weasley was enough to induce a heart attack…

After a few seconds, she realized she was staring again and tried to remind herself that he was simply joking around with her, and to not get so caught up with his proposition. She tried to play it off cool as though there was ever a reason for _not _wanting to slide into a dark, cramped closet with Ron.

"Hm, I don't know… there might be an awfully large amount of spiders and other creepy things in one of those closets…" she played along, pretending to contemplate his offer.

Ron sucked his lips inside his mouth and narrowed his eyes as he stared upwards, pretending to mull it over in his own mind. "That's true… I can't say I enjoy spiders very much." Hermione giggled and nodded at the biggest understatement of the year.

His expression then lightened. "But… I think it'd be worth it," he added in a softer tone. He smiled down at her, but his smile was more sincere this time and less joking. She felt her heart flutter at the tone of sincerity in his voice and she smiled back at him, hoping to express a similar emotion in her eyes.

"Ahem!"

Ron suddenly ripped his arm from around Hermione as he pulled his face away from hers. He turned to his left to see Harry had already seated himself on Ron's other side. Hermione saw the tone in his face brighten at Harry's knowing smirk, and she felt her own cheeks flush alongside his.

"Oh, hey, mate…" said Ron, his voice seeming to have gone up a couple octaves higher. "We were just talking about you. What took ya' so long?"

"Oh nothing, just dawdling I guess…" he trailed off, his smirk disappearing.

Hermione noticed that his face looked much more relaxed than it had been earlier that morning, but he still looked somewhat distracted. She looked over at Ron who was already giving her a knowing look, almost as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. He discreetly nodded to her as if silently promising to talk to Harry later that night to find out what was wrong.

The doors to the classroom suddenly burst open and Professor Snape entered the room as the students voices all hushed to whispers, and then finally silence. He walked up the aisle and turned on his heel to face them once he had reached the front of the classroom. His arms were straight at his sides and his black, straggly hair framed his face as he stared at them without blinking.

"Turn to page 394," he said, his voice as grim as ever. The sound of students flipping through their textbooks to find the right page was all that could be heard as he stood, still staring at them with full force.

Hermione then noticed that Snape was looking in their direction, or more specifically, in Ron's direction. She looked to her left to see Ron staring at his unopened book, his head being held up by his hand and his eyelids starting to flutter close. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Snape stiffly walking over to them and she nudged Ron with her elbow to warn him, but it was too late.

Ron was startled awake by Hermione's elbow and he looked up from his book to see Snape standing tall in front of him, the shadow of his body falling over top of him like a ton of bricks. He gulped, and Hermione knew he probably had no idea what he was even about to be scolded for. It wasn't unusual for him to not be paying attention in class.

"I see you have chosen _not_ to listen to class instructions again, have you Weasley?" asked Snape slowly, his voice bleak and cold.

Hermione started to take pity on Ron as she watched him squirm to sit up straight. She was all too familiar with Snape's scolding, and it was nothing short of terrifying.

"Well I, err… no Sir, I'm listening. See?" said Ron, as he pointed to his book and started aimlessly flipping through the pages.

Snape's eyes continued to stare daggers into Ron's as he pulled the right side of his cloak and spun around to face the front of the classroom. He took a couple slow steps forward before speaking again.

"Very well. Then tell me," he said, turning on his heel to face Ron once more, still clutching the right side of his cloak in his fist, "what is the best way for you to defend yourself against a Dementor?"

Hermione's pity grew as she watched Ron stare at Snape, his mouth agape and his eyes blinking wildly. She, of course, knew the answer. But how could he not know this? They were all too familiar with patronuses, especially after they had spent weeks learning how to make them back when they formed Dumbeldore's Army in fifth year. He had to have known! Maybe he was just a little put off from being put on the spot in front of the whole class. She continued to stare at him with widened eyes, her anticipation deepening as she sat on the edge of her seat waiting for him to answer.

"Well, err… I would have to say… err…" he started, his eyes focused on the ceiling, trying to evade Snape's glare. Snape's mouth turned up into a little smile at the sight of Ron's stuttering, and Hermione could see Ron's face contort as he racked his brain for the proper response. She could hear some of her classmates snickering at his answer, or rather lack thereof, and she wanted nothing more than to help him.

"You see, Weasley, _this_ is why students like _you_ need to pay attention in class. Dementors are a very real creature, and if _you_ and one of them were to cross paths, I'm confident that-"

"A patronus!" blurted Hermione, no longer able to listen to Snape's condescending tone. She winced at the sound of desperation in her own voice, but she couldn't take it anymore. A combination of Snape's sinister joy in causing students discomfort, desire to aid Ron from his embarrassment, and knowing the answer but being unable to hear it come from Ron's mouth had run her patience thin. Snape was now staring at her with wide, displeased eyes, and the smile had been wiped from his face. She then noticed Ron looking at her as well with a small, thankful smile, and the scolding she was about to receive for ruining Snape's fun suddenly seemed worth it.

"Well, , it would seem that perhaps you are _not_ the brightest witch of your age," Snape snickered harshly, slowly enunciating every syllable as clear as crystal. Hermione's face pulled into a frown at the coldness of his tone. That was not the response she had been expecting. "You, along with many of your classmates here, have been given the impression that a patronus is the best option. Perhaps if you paid closer attention to your curriculum then-"

"Just because the curriculum doesn't teach us how to use the spell doesn't mean it isn't effective!" Hermione snapped, starting to feel the anger inside of her bubbling. She wasn't usually one to act defiant, but something about Snape had set her off.

"Well, , I don't see your name written on the front of any of these curriculum textbooks, and I _also_ don't imagine cutting into other people's sentences will get you very far in life, no matter how intelligent you _believe_ you are."

Hermione's mouth dropped at his second insult to her intelligence in a matter of seconds, but before she could retort she heard a voice booming from beside her.

"Oi!" shouted Ron, standing up from his seat to reach eye level with Snape. "Hermione has always been the best student in our year! It wouldn't surprise me if she was even the best student in all of Hogwarts history of students, which by the way, includes _you_! In fact, I don't think it would surprise _anyone_, really!" He looked around the room to see several of his classmates silently nodding in agreement, and a slight smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. Hermione felt a tint of pink flush into her cheeks at the compliment as she unsuccessfully tried to suppress a tiny smile.

Her smile then quickly disappeared at the sight of Snape's face. His eyes were as wide as bowls and his eyebrows arched as he glared at all the students that had agreed with Ron. Why did Ron have to be so bold? She was certain his temper would one day be the death of him.

She looked over at Ron whose smirk had completely vanished as Snape stared back into his eyes with a face full of ire. He swallowed thickly and waited for Snape's reaction, evidently trying to keep his cool as best as he could. Hermione could feel a sense of guilt washing over her at the realization that Ron was about to get in trouble for sticking up for _her_. All the students, including Harry and herself, sat in silence as they anxiously waited to see what Ron's punishment would be for such disrespectful behaviour.

"Well one thing is for certain," started Snape, finally breaking the silence, his face mere inches from Ron's. "I can assure you that the best students of Hogwarts did not get where they are by insulting those that hand out their marks, Mr. Weasley. But perhaps… you would like to discuss this further in detention over the next week? Starting to_night_. My office, 7 o'clock - s_harp_." His usually stiff face was contorted with rage and satisfaction as he stormed back up to the front of the classroom and began the lesson.

Ron slowly lowered himself back into his chair with an irritated look on his face, his eyes staring at the front of the classroom. Hermione and Harry stared at him from either side, mouths open, waiting for him to explain himself for ever doing something so dauntless. Finally sensing their eyes on him, he looked between his two friends with knitted eyebrows, acting as if he had no idea why they were so shocked.

"What?" he whispered harshly, eyes still darting from side to side between the two's faces.

"What the bloody hell has gotten into you?" Harry whispered back, his eyebrows knitted together even tighter than Ron's.

"_Me?_" responded Ron. "_He_ was the one who was insulting Hermione for no good reason. He deserves it, the bloody prat." He huffed as he crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat.

"_Ron!" _whispered Hermione in an angry, yet slightly astonished tone. "You can't just say whatever you please to a _teacher_! I'm surprised he only gave you one week's detention!" She quickly eased up and her face softened at the sight of Ron's mildly offended expression. "You didn't need to do that, especially not for _my_ sake." She blushed at the last part as the realization that he had been trying to stand up for her finally kicked in.

Ron's own blush was seeping through his cheeks as his eyes caught Harry's knowing expression and then darted around the room, desperately avoiding both Harry and Hermione's glares.

"It, err… well don't worry about it, Hermione… I've wanted to do that for a while now. Even if it did wind me up with a week's worth of detention" he said, a slight chuckle in his voice. "If it wasn't you, I'm sure it would have been Harry or I getting the bad end of his mood. It would have been the same outcome no matter which one of us it was." Looking satisfied with his answer, he turned to face her and gave her a small smile. "Just, don't worry about it, okay?" he whispered again.

Hermione could see Harry from over Ron's shoulder as he quickly turned away from them, clearly feeling as though he should no longer be included in the conversation as he became engaged in Snape's lesson at the front of the class. She looked back down at Ron who was waiting for her to answer. She considered that maybe she was reading too much into his outburst, since he had just admitted he would have done the same for Harry or himself. He was, after all, _known_ for his quick attitude.

"You know, you really need to work on your temper, Ron," she finally responded, returning his smile. "The insult was directed at _me, _and even I didn't mind it all that much. All he said was that I wasn't the brightest witch of my age, really. If _that_ upsets you so much, then I'd hate to see what would happen if he was to say that you weren't the wittiest boy of our year, or that your hair isn't the brightest shade of red, or some _god_-_awful_ thing like that," she whispered sarcastically, a small laugh escaping as Ron's eyes rolled and he grinned along with her.

"_Har-har_" he responded with just as much sarcasm, the grin expanding across his face. "And I don't really care if _you_ didn't mind; you don't deserve that kind of treatment! It was true what I said, about you being the best student and all," he whispered. Hermione jokingly rolled her eyes at his comment with a small smile still glued on her face, but inside she felt positively giddy at the idea of Ron thinking she was the best at something.

"Well, thank you for the compliment, Ronald, but it really wasn't nec-"

"Hermione, I said not to worry about it!" he cut her off. An amused look danced across his face at the sound of Hermione clicking her tongue against his teeth at his interruption. "Besides… maybe I did it because it bothers _me_ when people insult you, regardless of if _you're_ offended or not," he whispered, a gentler tone in his voice. His face flushed some more but he continued to smile at her, and Hermione could feel her heart flutter at the sweetness of his smile. She felt her cheeks growing hotter and she quickly looked down at her desk to hide her growing blush, her lips clenching together to try to stop the smile on her face from growing into an overly goofy grin.

She could hear him chuckle lightly at her reaction, and when she eventually slowly looked back up at him he was already facing the front of the class, his arms still crossed, listening to Snape's lecture with a painstakingly boring expression. Hermione smiled to herself again at the thought of Ron standing up for her, especially against Snape, one of the most feared professors at Hogwarts. Maybe he _had _done it for her sake? She thought back to how she had been trying to explain how girls were attracted to the whole "knight in shining armour" idea to him the day before when he was teasing about Harry walking Ginny to her classroom. She had to admit, maybe Ron _wasn't_ as hopeless as she had thought when it came to being charming.

Ron turned to face her once more with a raised eyebrow and a confused look on his face, and Hermione quickly realized she had been staring at him for a good five or so minutes. She bit her lip and her eyes darted to the front of the classroom as she blushed under his knowing gaze. She cursed herself for acting so girly, and she winced at how creepy he probably thought she was being. How long had he been aware she was staring at him?

To her further embarrassment, she could see him from the corner of her eye trying not to smile as he looked at her, and despite her mortification, she suddenly couldn't help but want to laugh at having been caught staring at him. Who exactly did she think she was kidding? She was nearly certain that there was something new happening between them, and trying to convince herself otherwise was downright pointless. She turned to meet his eyes and had to bite her lip harder to keep in a giggle at the sight of Ron. He was looking forward again and was desperately trying to hold in his own laugh by sucking his lips into his mouth and burying it beneath his fist that he had previously been resting his chin on. She wasn't exactly sure what was so funny, but she was happy to see that Ron could feel it too.

He caught her eyes once more as they both tried to contain their giggles, and they stared at each other for a while longer with smiles strung on their faces. It wasn't long before Hermione noticed Harry staring at them with the same raised-eyebrow expression that Ron had given her moments before when he caught her staring at him, and she felt the laughter trying to push its way out of her again as Ron clued in to what she was looking at. All Harry could do was stare at them with a raised brow and narrowed eyes, as he watched him try to supress their laughter once more.

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Harry stared at Ron, a look of complete disbelief on his face. Since when had Ron become so bold as to snap at a teacher, let alone _Snape_? He knew it had to have been in part because of what Snape had said to Hermione, but he still couldn't believe the words that had come out of Ron's mouth. Now he would be serving the next week in detention with Snape in his office.

_Snape._ Ron would be spending an entire week's evenings with Snape… What would he even be doing? Writing lines, perhaps? Cleaning? Sitting in silence? Maybe he would be forced to listen to Snape lecture him every night. What would he even talk about? How much smarter he was than Hermione? How great of a student he used to be? Harry winced as he thought about his best mate's situation. He didn't think he could ever survive a whole week listening to Snape's voice, and he genuinely felt bad for Ron. Maybe he would have to be lectured about classwork. Defense Against the Dark Arts? Maybe Potions? Or perha-

_Potions._ Harry couldn't help but remember the instructions for that lethal poison. The instructions tore from a book and kept in Ron's trunk. The instructions Ron had failed to mention to him, his best friend in the whole universe. On top of that, there were those instructions on how to perform an Imperius and a Killing Curse. Two of the worst curses in the entire wizarding world, both kept for safekeeping in _Ron's_ trunk. He still couldn't bring himself to believe that he had found such dark magic in Ron's possession, but he had the papers on the inside pocket of his robe to prove that it was in fact true.

He had intended on bringing it up to Hermione whenever they were alone next, and now that Ron was being sent to detention, he would have the chance to do so that night. Perhaps Hermione knew of a reason for why Ron would be keeping such horrible instructions around. He wouldn't be able to find out until 7 o'clock that night, but he desperately hoped for an explanation, something to clear these infuriating suspicions out of his mind. He hated himself for even suspecting Ron of being a Death Eater. He cringed as he imagined Ron working alongside Malfoy, one of the trio's nemeses since first year. He thought about them plotting and planning together, figuring out a way to carry out Voldemort's assignments. He thought about them working together with Snape, someone who he also suspected.

He remembered the night of Slughorn's Christmas party when he had witnessed Snape and Malfoy's conversation from under the invisibility cloak. He knew Snape had made some sort of vow to help Malfoy do something, but of what he was not sure. He wondered how many times they had spoken and planned together, right underneath everybody's noses. His thoughts then wandered as he suddenly remembered where Ron was going tonight…

He would be spending an entire week in Snape's office. After having a particularly uncharacteristic outburst, he would now be spending a week with Snape. Was it a coincidence? The thought of Ron and Snape working together as Death Eaters continued to ring through his mind over and over, torturing him to the point where he felt he might explode. He tried to shake the thoughts from his head, but they kept returning every time he heard the sound of Snape's voice, pulling him back into his nightmare.

He was suddenly yanked out of his thoughts at the sound of a soft, muffled snicker. He turned to his right to see both Ron and Hermione trying to keep from bursting into laughter. What in god's name was so funny? He stared at them with a bewildered expression, trying to figure out what the joke was.

Hermione finally noticed him staring, but it only encouraged her unspoken laughter. She covered her mouth with her hand and Ron turned to look at what was egging her on. He tightened his fist to his hand to try and muffle the laughter that was escaping his mouth as soon as he laid eyes on Harry's expression. Harry continued to stare at them, completely baffled at their behaviour.

He watched as his two best friends tried to hide their laughter underneath their hands, and he couldn't help but smile at how childish they were being. His smile widened as he watched them, and he thought about how they had always tried to make each other laugh in the middle of class when they were younger.

He remembered how less complicated things had been back then. He would have never suspected Ron of being anything more than a good friend when they were young. They had been through so much together. Hell, they had been through _everything_ together. Ron was his rock, his partner in crime, the one person who could make him feel better. If anything, Ron had become like a brother to him, not an enemy. His entire family had essentially adopted him when he needed people there for him the most. And now he was sitting here, wondering if Ron was actually plotting _against_ him.

How could this have ever happened? Why did he have to find those stupid papers? Why was he letting Dumbledore and this whole horcrux thing take over his life? They were making him _paranoid_. Paranoid to the point where he was suspecting people that he cared for, people who had become like family to him, and Ron, someone who he loved and appreciated as a friend more than anyone else. Someone who he could never think of even _living_ without.

He stared at the front of the classroom, desperately trying to think of something else. He tried to lose himself in the lesson, but every once and a while the thoughts of Ron betraying him would come back into his mind to haunt him. He looked over and watched as Ron tried to keep himself awake after having propped himself up on his elbow again, and he hopelessly prayed that Ron would never intentionally do anything to hurt him as much as he was hurting right now.

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**Alright, so that's chapter 6 for you! Hopefully you guys are understanding where I am coming from with the whole Harry suspecting Ron thing. He doesn't want to, but sometimes he can't help himself. I always saw Harry as a very passionate person when it comes to these things, you could even say obsessed. **

**As I mentioned, the next chapter will be more angsty, but I might not be able to get it posted on Tuesday like I usually do. We're finishing the semester at school in 3 weeks, so this is the week where we have a bunch of final projects and reports to hand in, on top of a bunch of last minute tests. It's going to be a hard week to get anything done, but I will try my very hardest to have Chapter 7 posted on the normal schedule. **

**I haven't slept yet and I have to go to school in 10 minutes, so I guess that's all I'll say for now haha! **

**Please review! Thanks :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**DON'T SHOOT! I have very good reasons for taking 4 weeks to update. I already mentioned in my last update that I might be a week or two late because of exams. Turns out exams were a lot more difficult than I anticipated, sorry about that. But here I am with the newest update! And as penance for taking so long, I will be working all day to get another chapter finished and posted **_**tomorrow**_**. So get pumped!**

**This chapter is pretty angsty. There is some minor Ron/Hermione fluff as well, so not all bad. Most of it focuses around Harry this time though. Hopefully you guys will be able to understand where I'm coming from with his character. **

**And I'll update tomorrow or at least before the week is up. I have all summer now until September! Enojy :)! Don't forget to review, give me your feedback or ideas for where to go with this!**

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Chapter 7:

Ron was sprawled out in a chair beside the fire in the Gryffindor common room, parchment laid flat on the table in front of him and a quill barely clutched in his nearly limp hand. He had been trying to get some work done on an essay, but found the comfort of the chair he was sitting in to be far too inviting. He hadn't gotten a whole lot of sleep the night before thanks to his racing thoughts about Hermione.

They had been getting along quite well as of late. Probably even better than they had been before they had their falling out in their friendship after the whole Lavender incident. Their relationship had improved greatly since he had apologized and they had talked things out, and he was grateful that she didn't hate him after everything that had happened. In fact, if his intuition was right, he thought she might actually be starting to like him more.

He knew that his feelings for her were getting stronger every moment he spent with her, and he had suspicions that she might reciprocate some of those feelings as well. He was becoming much more comfortable around her, and it had led to a series of flirtatious interactions that he couldn't help but notice had her acting much more shy and girlish around him. It was a whole new side of Hermione that he wasn't familiar with, but he was looking forward to getting to know this side of her much better.

He felt his eyes start to flutter shut as the tiredness began to take over and his breathing slowed. He was about to slip away into sleep, when he suddenly heard a girlish giggle from the right side of his chair. He felt his quill fall out of his hand as he jolted out of his limp position and sat up, head darting around to see who was watching him. His eyes blinked furiously as they tried to refocus, and he felt his face blush at the sight of Hermione sitting on the sofa beside him and smirking at him.

"Oh, err… hey," he muttered, face burning as he bent down to pick up his quill. He knew that he wasn't a very attractive sleeper, and he was embarrassed that she had witnessed it.

"Hey there sleepy-head," she returned, trying not to giggle again. She was sitting with her arms crossed across her chest and an entertained look on her face, and Ron knew he had probably looked like an idiot before she had come to sit with him.

Ron laid the quill gently on top of his blank parchment and brought his hand up to rub the back of his neck as the colour in his cheeks brightened. He could feel Hermione's eyes still on him as he tried to avert his own from meeting them.

He heard Hermione giggle again, no doubt on account of his embarrassment. "So what you are doing down here by yourself? Besides taking a nap for the entire Gryffindor house to see," she snickered, the smirk on her face growing.

Ron rolled his eyes and chuckled back despite the red tint that still warmed his cheeks. "Well, I was going to work on my essay. But this chair was so bloody _comfy_ I just couldn't help myself."

"I see," responded Hermione, the smile still prominent on her face. "I assume Harry is off somewhere with Ginny then?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Of course. I expect that will be a usual thing now…" he said half-heartedly as he thought about how much he wanted a chance alone with Harry to talk about some things. He'd never admit it to anyone, but he already missed Harry's company and it had only been two days since he had started seeing Ginny. He never realized how much he took for granted being able to talk to Harry whenever he wanted, but now he was feeling it. Hermione looked at him with what almost seemed like an expression of compassion and sympathy, and Ron realized his feelings of missing Harry were not as transparent as he would have liked.

"You know," started Hermione, a quiet tone to her voice as she edged forward in her seat, "it's isn't like he's not going to be around anymore. This is still _Harry_ we're talking about. It's not like he's going to be-"

"Anything like me?" cut in Ron with an even softer tone than Hermione's. He instantly regretted saying it as soon as he saw Hermione's face go from full of sympathy to full of exasperation.

"That's _not _what I was going to say, Ron," she said sharply as she rolled her eyes. "I was _going_ to say that he's not going to be able to focus all his time into Ginny with everything else he has going on right now. You and I both know he's too much like… well like _himself_ to put a girl above something that he thinks is important enough to take down You-Know-Who. Even if it is Ginny… And he's going to need us to talk about it and maybe even help with it, because we're the only other ones who know. He'll be around plenty. He's probably just excited about this fresh new relationship with Ginny right now."

She continued to stare directly at him as he watched the sympathetic expression start to creep back onto her face, and Ron knew she was right. Harry may be a teenage boy, but he was nothing like Ron. He wouldn't let girls and emotions stray him away from what was important, like friendship and school, or in this case helping Dumbledore.

He caught Hermione's eyes, and the realization that she had been in his position before become more apparent than ever. He imagined that she would have felt the exact same way that he was currently feeling when he had been ignoring her and trying to make her jealous by dating Lavender, and he began to feel guilty again. If anyone knew what he was going through right now, it would be her. What she had said made sense. It might have taken _him_ a while to come around when he was dating Lavender, but Harry was much more in control of his emotions than him and he knew he would come around even sooner. He didn't want Harry to chuck his sister entirely; he just hoped he would spend some alone time with him soon.

He finally gave Hermione a small smile and nodded in agreement. A comforting smile of her own broke out onto her face in return, and it occurred to Ron that one good thing was coming out of Harry not being around: more alone time for Hermione and himself. He suddenly felt excited and giddy, the idea of it had him feeling much more chipper than he had felt seconds earlier. He pushed away all his mixed feelings: feelings of loneliness, guilt, confusion, and exhaustion. He decided that the only thing he would focus on tonight before his detention with Snape would be Hermione.

"Well at least I have you until he's around again" he said with his face to the ground. Feeling rather satisfied with how smoothly and romantically he had inserted that little comment, he lifted his head and gave her a sweet smile. To his dismay though, Hermione was giving him a weird look with a furrowed brow, and then he cringed at what he had said. '_Until he's around again.' _That definitely had not come out right...

"I mean, not that I wouldn't have you anymore err, once he's back," he said quickly as he rubbed the back of his neck and his eyes darted to the ground, his confidence suddenly shattering. He was starting to feel nervous at the thought of having hurt her feelings and he was talking much faster than normal. "What I meant was that I have you now so I'm not really alone. And I'll err, still have you even when he is back… So I have you now_ as well as_ later_. _Well, I mean err, not that I '_have'_ you like you're my property or anything. You don't have to keep me company if you don't want. But I would like if you did. But you don't have to." He snapped his head up from the floor and once more laid his eyes on a very confused-looking Hermione.

Her mouth was in a slight smirk and her face was full of bewilderment mixed with amusement. He knew he was just babbling on like an idiot now, but he quickly added "it's just nice to have you when Harry's gone is what I'm saying. And also to have you when he's here. And by have I mean, you know not 'have' but, like… '_have'_, you know? It's just nice to have you all the time. Sorry, I'm not trying to offend you or anything", he finally finished, completely baffled at himself at his own actions. "Please don't leave," he added meekly, his face looking like he had just witnessed some sort of gruesome crime.

_Bloody hell_… He couldn't even begin to describe what had just happened as he felt his ears burning hotter than ever before. All he could do was stare at Hermione out of fear that if he tried to say anything more he would only make himself look like more of a prat, if that was even possible…

Hermione was staring back at him with a furrowed brow and that same smirk for what felt like an eternity. Ron waited patiently for her reaction and prayed that she understood he hadn't meant to hurt her feelings. Finally, her smirk cracked into a smile, and she covered her mouth to try to stifle a giggle. Not being able to hold back for very long, she eventually snorted and broke out into a fit of hysterical laughter.

Ron continued to stare at her, one of his eyebrows peaking on his forehead as he waited for her laughter to subdue. He wasn't entirely sure what was so funny, but at least she didn't' appear to be offended anymore.

"I'm sorry, Ron," she finally pushed out between gasps of air as she tried to catch her breath. Her breathing finally calmed and she looked him in the eye. "You're just not much of a poet!"

She sucked in her lips to try and keep from laughing again as her hand whipped up to smother her mouth and she continued to look at him.

Ron felt like he should be offended by her remark, but he knew she was only speaking the truth. Even he couldn't defend the words that had seemingly tumbled out of his mouth like a snowball rolling down a hill. He pursed his lips together to keep from laughing himself, but it was no use. Soon, he too was laughing along with Hermione at the sheer ludicrousness of what had happened.

After a few moments their laughter had slowed, and Ron elatedly watched as Hermione grinned at him from her perch on the sofa. It was amazing the way that something as simple as watching her smile could have his heart fluttering and his spirits soaring.

"Well for what it's worth, I don't mind spending time with you while Harry is off with Ginny," she said softly with a shy smile, breaking Ron out of his thoughts. The genuineness in her tone had him melting inside. Returning her smile with one of his own, he knew she was being sincere.

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Harry was rounding the corner of the hallway, on his way to the Gryffindor common room. He had just spent the afternoon with Ginny, and given any other circumstances he wouldn't have been happier about it. Unluckily for him, he had some unfortunate business to take care of this evening, and it was enough to dampen any happiness he had been feeling minutes ago before Ginny had to leave him to go to the library. He finally reached the moving staircase and waited for it to finish moving before mounting the steps.

Ron had detention with Snape tonight, meaning tonight would be one of his only opportunities to speak with Hermione alone. Tonight would be the night he would tell her what Malfoy had said to him about the possibility of there being more than one Death Eater in the school. Tonight would be the night he would tell her what he had found in Ron's trunk.

Tonight would be the night he would tell Hermione that he suspected his best and most loyal friend of being an enemy as well as one of the worst things possible in the whole wizarding world, and he felt like a bloody git for it.

He already knew how this would play out. Hermione would be upset at how he could ever suspect Ron. And he didn't' blame her, because he was probably more upset about it that she would soon be. But he had to figure this out and he had to know what was going on. He had found _two_ of the _Unforgiveable Curses _in Ron's trunk, for Merlin's sake. One of which had been used on a student not that far back and the other that was strictly intended for killing. Not to mention the instructions for a poison that had also clearly been used by _somebody _in an attempt to kill Slughorn. They had never been able to find out whom. He couldn't perceive any other explanation for any of this. Surely this had to be enough reason to be concerned? Surely he wasn't just being overly paranoid because of everything that was happening? Surely this would make Hermione at least understand _why_ he would question Ron's faithfulness to him? He paused as the stairs began to move again.

No, of course not. He would be kidding himself if he honestly believed she wouldn't be upset over this. He was hoping the logical side of her would come into play and she would be able to understand, and hopefully be able to come up with an explanation to clear Ron's name. Nothing would make him happier if she would be able to figure out a reason for why Ron had this dark magic stowed away besides Harry's worse fear. The stairs finished moving and he trekked forward again.

"_It could be anyone though, even someone right under your nose. Someone you thought you could trust…" _

Malfoy's words haunted him the rest of the way to the Fat Lady's portrait. Everything was lining up towards it being Ron. Ron was the closest person to Harry. He had no family left besides the Weasleys. There were _no _others. The only other people close to him were Hermione, and maybe a few other Gryffindor students who he had gotten to know fairly well over the years. He didn't honestly want any of them to be working against him, but if it proved to be anyone but Ron he would be downright ecstatic.

He recited the password and entered the portrait hole, hoping to find Hermione in the common room somewhere. At least there was only one other place she would be if she wasn't, and that would be the library.

Luckily for him, he spotted the back of her sitting on the sofa they usually sat at over by the fireplace. Unluckily for him, Ron was sitting in the arm chair across from her. He stood back and watched as they casually talked and laughed with each other. The unmistakable look of adoration and enchantment in Ron's eyes as he looked at Hermione had always struck a chord in Harry. He knew how much Ron cared for Hermione. Even if, Merlin forbid, Ron had been putting him on for a while and was working against him, he knew Ron's feelings for Hermione were very, very real.

He watched his best friend with a tiny smile for a little while longer as he desperately tried to put off the task at hand. He knew as soon as he mentioned any of this to Hermione that everything would change. Either he would be right and his best friend would now be the enemy, which was the worst possible outcome he could think of, or he would be wrong and he would be a total arse for having even suggested it. He didn't want things between them to change. He wanted to stand on this side of the common room forever and just happily watch his friends get along and have a good time. Suddenly, he heard Ron calling his name and he snapped out of it.

"Oi! Harry! Over here, mate!" he called, a huge, goofy grin plastered on his face. Harry's heart broke at how happy and excited Ron looked to see him as he walked over to their sofa. How could he ever suspect Ron? He had to be the worst friend in the _entire history_ of friendship.

He slowly continued walking towards them as he forced a smile on his face. Finally reaching them, he took a seat beside Hermione on the sofa. Hermione had almost seemed awkward about it for a second, but she quickly caught her composure and smiled at him. Maybe he had interrupted something? Whatever it was, it would have to wait. He needed to get this whole thing off his chest.

He looked up at Ron who was still grinning at him like an idiot. It reminded him of how excited Ron would be whenever they met up after having spent the occasional summer apart. They would always catch each other up on their lives, and then they would be inseparable until the end of the next school year. The thought of it was almost enough to make Harry cry, and not a lot of things had that power over him. He _needed_ Hermione to help him figure this out.

"So how was your day with Ginny?" asked Hermione, trying to start a conversation.

"Oh, err, good," he answered half-heartedly with another forced smile.

He could feel Hermione eyeing him at the shortness of his answer, but he didn't want to meet her gaze until Ron had left. He looked at Ron who hadn't seemed to notice his distraught mood and was smiling back at him.

"I appreciate you sparing the details, mate," he said with a chuckle. Harry smiled and nodded back, although he, and probably Hermione, knew there were other reasons for why his answer had been so brief.

"So, err, what time is your detention at, mate?" he asked, hoping he wasn't sounding too forward.

Ron furrowed his brow and whipped his head around to look at the clock. His eyes bulged at the realization of what time it was.

"Oh, bloody hell! Ten minutes from now, actually! Snape will have my head if I'm late!" He shot up from his chair and started packing his things into his book bag. Once he was finished, he threw the bag over his shoulder and started jogging to the portrait hole.

"See you guys later, yeah?" he shouted from across the room as he burst through the exit.

Harry couldn't help but smile as he watched his friend clumsily stumble out of the portrait hole. He finally pulled his eyes off of the exit and looked at Hermione just in time to catch a bit of disappointment in her expression as she too pulled her eyes away from Ron's lingering trail.

"Sorry if I interrupted anything," said Harry, feeling slightly guilty for having ruined another one of their moments. He seemed to have become especially good at that over the years.

"Oh," responded Hermione, a surprised tone to her voice. "No, it's okay. We were just keeping each other company. Nothing important." She smiled politely at him, but Harry knew better than to believe that. He knew any time they spent together was always important to both of them, especially Ron.

"Alright, if you say so," retorted Harry with a knowing smirk. Hermione couldn't help but smile and she bowed her head to look at her lap as a pink hue coloured her cheeks. Harry chuckled under his breath at her embarrassment. Surely she couldn't still be embarrassed about this considering it had been going on for years? He watched as she finally brought her head back up and her eyes met his, and he was suddenly reminded of why he had been seeking her out to begin with.

"Anyways, there was something I was meaning to talk to you about. Something rather important, actually. Concerning, err, Ron." He felt very tense, and he really didn't want to have to have this conversation with her. But she had a right to know, and he wanted her to prove him wrong.

Hermione's eyes narrowed at him. "Ron? I knew there was something upsetting you, but why do you need to talk to me about Ron?"

"Well, it's just… well, I don't know how much you're going to like what I have to say," he said nervously, trying to hold her gaze but wanting desperately to look away.

Her expression hardened and the way she stared him down reminded him of a displeased Mrs. Weasley, knowing he was hiding something. "Harry, what is it? What are you keeping from me?" Her voice was stern and she continued to stare at him until he answered.

"Well, I was getting ready for bed last night. My foot got stuck in one of my trouser legs and I was kind of hopping around trying to get it through, and there were some papers on the ground near Ron's trunk that I accidently stepped on and crinkled," he stated casually, not wanting her to think he was so paranoid as to go rummaging through his friend's things for no good reason.

"Papers? What kind of papers?" asked Hermione, her brow furrowing some more and her curiosity peaking.

"Well, at first I just assumed it was some old homework of some sort. But then when I bent down to make sure I hadn't ruined the paper I stepped on, I noticed it was tore out of a book. And then-"

"A book? You mean it was a passage of some sort? What was on the paper?" cut in Hermione, her voice sounding more anxious.

"Yes, it was torn out of some book. And when I looked closely at what was printed on the front side of it, I found out it was instructions for how to create a poison. A very _lethal_ poison. And whe-"

"Poison! Why would that be in your dorm? I don't understand" half-whispered Hermione, not wanting anyone to overhear as the topic was growing more and more serious.

"I'm not sure, but the instructions outlined what happens to someone who drinks it, and they perfectly described what happened to Ron when he drank that poisoned mead a while back on his birthday. So then I not-"

"Wait," demanded Hermione, her hand up to signal Harry to stop talking. Harry sighed in frustration. He knew she was eager to hear what he had to say, but at this rate he would never be able to get it all out. "So the instruction for a lethal poison that was _used_ here at Hogwarts was found in your dorm?"

"Yes, Hermione, but if you don't mind I need you to stop interrupting me while I try to tell the story, okay?" Hermione winced a little and nodded her head understandingly as she waited for him to continue.

"Alright, good. So then after reading that paper, I noticed a similar paper sticking out of Ron's trunk. It had also been torn from a book." Harry saw Hermione's eyes widen with worry. He knew she wanted to cut in, but she bit back her tongue and allowed him to continue.

"So then I pulled the paper out all the way. I know it's not right for snooping, but I was a little confused as to why Ron would ever be in possession of such dark magic, and I just wanted to make sure I shouldn't be worried about him. Unfortunately, what I found on that paper was just as bad, if not worse, than the one with the poison. There were instructions on how to perform the Imperius Curse on one side and the Killing curse on the other." Hermione gasped as she brought her hand to cover her mouth. Her eyes darted around them, trying to see if anyone would have heard Harry utter those words. Harry could feel his heart sinking at her reaction, but he kept on.

"Now, I don't have an explanation for why these instructions were with Ron, but I do have some more bad news. During the day, before I found all of this, I ran into Malfoy in the hallway. I said something about him going off to do some dark tasks or something, and he said that I shouldn't be worried about him because he's not the biggest threat to this school. I asked who he was talking about, but he wouldn't tell me. All he said was that he 'wouldn't sell out his own kind', and that it could very well be someone close to me who I 'thought I could trust'. Then he just walked away laughing. So, if you didn't believe he was a Death Eater before, surely you have to believe it now."

"Okay, I'll agree with you that it sounds like he _is_ a Death Eater, but it's not that big of a surprise to you, is it? But what does that have to do with the papers you found?" She was eyeing him suspiciously and her tone was still quite firm. Harry had a feeling she knew what he was getting at, but it must have been so unbelievable that she wanted to hear it come from his own mouth. A rush of guilt swept through him as he looked at her.

"Well, I mean… I don't want to be the one to have to say it, but it's pretty obvious that Ron was hiding those papers. I mean, we have all the same classes and we know he doesn't need them for school. He hardly needs them for protecting himself, so there really is no good reason for why he has them. And Draco said it could be someone right under my nose-"

"Harry, you can't be serious!" snapped Hermione, looking completely appalled at what he was saying. "You're honestly going to tell me that you think _Ron_ of all people is working as a Death Eater? As our enemy? As someone who may very well be seeking to _kill_ you?"

"Hermione, you have to at least see _why_ I have these suspicions, right?" he asked, starting to feel even guiltier. "I mean, it all fits. I really, really, _really_ don't want it to, but it does. He has family working in the ministry who spent nearly a full year smearing my name and hating me. Not to mention he knows _everything_ about me. The first thing I do when I have a problem is go to Ron. If there was ever anyone that they would want to corrupt, Ron would be it. Can't you at least understand _why_ I might suspect him?"

"Oh, I understand perfectly well," growled Hermione as she stood from her spot on the sofa and put her hands on her hips. Looking down at him, she said lowly "the reason you're suspecting him is because you've become completely _obsessed_, Harry Potter. You've become one hundred percent _paranoid_! This whole horcrux-Death-Eater-thing is going to drive you over the edge, and quite frankly I don't want any part of that." Harry's eyes bulged at the use of the word 'horcrux', and he quickly scanned the room to make sure nobody could have heard.

Satisfied that nobody could hear them, he turned his focus back onto Hermione. She was still staring down at him with a murderous sort of rage that he had only seen in her a few other select times. It was enough to intimidate Voldemort himself, but Harry had to make her understand that he didn't _want_ Ron to be one of them, he wanted her to help him prove to themselves that he _wasn't_.

"Hermione, if you'll just sit down for a second and listen while I try to exp-"

"And what about that poison? Did you forget it was _Ron himself_ was the recipient of that poison, hm? Why would he poison himself?" she snapped, clearly trying to push down as much of her anger as she could. She folded her arms across her chest and waited for him to reply.

"I know he was the one who was poisoned," Harry said calmly as he gulped, "but he was given that poisoned mead while he was under the influence of that love potion! He would have had no idea what he was doing. And the poison was given to Slughorn, so it was never meant for Ron. Nobody could have known that I would have taken him to Slughorn after that love potion mishap, so the poison was never intended for Ron. It must have been for Slughorn for whatever reason." Harry was trying to remain composed, but every word that came out of his mouth seemed to make the fire behind Hermione's eyes burn hotter. It was one of the worst feelings of guilt he had ever been put through, and he wasn't sure he would be able to hold back much longer.

"I can't believe the words that are coming out of your mouth, Harry!" She was now shouting at a full volume. "It's like you're picking at every single detail and finding a way to make sure that it _is_ Ron. Almost like you _want_ it to be him!" The guilt in Harry was rapidly inflating like a balloon in his head that was ready to pop any second. "How could you even suggest," she continued, "that _Ron_ would do this to you. Your supposed _best friend_. When has he ever been anything but loyal to you? He's not the one being a bad friend right now, Harry, _you_ are. How cou-"

"Alright, enough!" shouted Harry, suddenly shooting up from his seat and firmly grabbing Hermione's crossed arms as he stood inches from her face. Hermione's eyes widened at the sudden outburst but she stood her ground. He was breathing long and hard now as he stared at her. The balloon had popped. He couldn't bear to listen to her scrutinizing any longer.

"You think I don't _know_ that I'm being a bad friend?" he rumbled lowly as he released her from his grasp. "You don't think I feel horrible for having to suggest this? Ron is the closest person to me. He's like a _brother_ to me." Realizing he was being too aggressive at the sight of the relatively alarmed look on Hermione's face, he backed off a little and softened his facial expression. He hadn't meant to scare Hermione; he just wanted her to understand what he was going through.

"It's just," he started softly, calming down again, "Ron is the only real family I have left, besides those bloody twits on Privet Drive. And I'm out here accusing him of being on the wrong side. Of working against me. I've never felt guiltier in my entire life, but I need to know what's going on. I need to find out, and I need you to help me. Help me clear his name." His eyes were pleading as he waited to hear Hermione's answer.

She looked more sympathetic than angry now as she stared back at him, recognizably trying to work out what to do in her head. He had no doubt that it was partially because of his emotional outburst, something he was not known for having. Finally, she said so quietly that it was almost a whisper "so you need me to help you sneak around behind Ron and snoop through his life?"

"Yes," he stated simply. "That is exactly what I need. I need you to help me clear his name. I need him to be innocent. I need us to be able to find a different explanation for all of this. I don't think I'll be able to take it if we can't, but I need to know for sure. I need to know that my best friend is still on my side. And I need you to help me figure this out, Hermione."

She continued to stare at him with crossed arms, and Harry could sense she knew he was right.

"Hermione, you know that you want him to be innocent just as much as I do. You know that there is something going on. These," he said as he took the folded papers out of his pocket and handed them to her, "are not normal. These will get a person thrown in Azkaban. I need to know Ron isn't intending on doing anything with these, and that he's okay." He watched as Hermione unfolded the papers with the Unforgivable Curses and poison instructions printed on them. Her face was like stone as she scanned them. She eventually looked up at Harry, her eyes glossy from not yet fallen tears. The sight was enough to break his heart, and he knew that she needed to prove him innocent just as much as he did.

"Please, Hermione, I need to know," he added, trying one last push to get her on his side.

Finally, she reluctantly nodded her head in agreement. "Alright. I'll help you. But only because I want him to be innocent too," she said, finally seeming to understand what Harry was going through.

Harry nodded, his expression still hard, and then brought her into a tight hug. It was nice to have gotten it off his chest, and to know that he wasn't being unreasonable. Hermione was the most reasonable person he knew, and if she agreed that they needed to do this then he knew it was the right thing to do. He was glad there was someone who could understand how he was feeling and could help him figure things out. He eventually released her from the hug, and they both sat down on the sofa to look at the fire.

"So what are we going to do about this?" she finally asked quietly, her eyes not leaving the fire.

"Well, I think it's only fair that we give him a chance to explain it," said Harry solemnly. We shouldn't just jump to any sure conclusions. I was thinking of asking him about the papers tonight before bed. See if he has a reason for having them. Then we can figure out what to do from there. I won't accuse him of anything, I'll just say I found them and I was wondering why he had them. What do you think?"

Hermione paused before answering. "I think that sounds good. If he has a good reason for it, maybe we can double check it. You know, just to make sure he's not… lying." Her voice cracked at the last word and Harry knew she was contemplating the possibility that Ron would deceive them.

"Well, hopefully he's not. Then we can put this all behind us," he said in a comforting tone, his hand rubbing her back. She mechanically nodded her head, her eyes still refusing to leave the fire.

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**So that's chapter 7 for you! Hope you enjoyed it. Sorry about the angst. Next chapter will be having more angst as well. Sorry for anyone not in to that, but it's got to be done! **

**Review and check back soon for the next update! :)**

**-ArticulateFiction**


	8. Chapter 8

**This is the next chapter, as promised :) As penance for having made you wait so long during exams! The next chapter will be up on Tuesday though as per usual. Even though I have a licensing exam and am moving to a new apartment this weekend, I will still make sure to get it up for you guys!**

**A fair warning now: this is a **_**very**_** angsty chapter. There is no fluff whatsoever. This chapter is a very important one though in terms of plot development, so for anyone who is only interested in Ron/Hermione fluff you will just have to bear with it for a while. We're going to be focusing a lot on the Death Eater side of the story for the next little while! Not that there won't be any fluff at all. There will just be less than there has been up to now. **

**Any-who, make sure to review, review, review, and give your feedback! I've got an idea of where I'm going with this but I still like to hear your guys' thoughts and comments. **

**Enjoy! And as per usual, no copyright infringement intended and all Harry Potter characters etc. belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling!**

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Chapter 8:

Hermione was lying in her four-post bed, staring up at the ceiling. She had wanted to go to bed early, but tonight sleep was bound to elude her. There was too much to think about after the conversation she had with Harry a couple hours ago.

Harry was suspicious that Ron was a Death Eater. And what made it worse was that he had some fairly reasonable leads to go on.

Despite these suspicions and the evidence pointing towards Ron though, she still had a strange instinct to take Ron's side. She felt she needed to protect him. The logical side of her hated it because she knew there was something going on and they needed to figure out what, but this other side of her wanted to overlook everything and give him the benefit of the doubt. Even with something as serious as Unforgiveable Curses being involved, she wanted to act like it was nothing important and believe that Ron was still the same. It was a side of her that she hadn't known she'd even had.

It wasn't like her to put her own personal feelings above what was logical and right, but she had really struggled with the decision to go behind Ron's back with Harry and find out what he was up to. She had wanted to say no and just forget about the whole thing. The logical part of her had apparently taken precedence though, and she had agreed to help Harry figure it out. Although she had to admit, she had been dangerously close to smothering that logical part of her completely.

It wasn't until Harry had said his piece about needing Ron to be innocent that she realized he wasn't doing this because he wanted Ron to be a Death Eater. He had only wanted for Ron to be innocent. He had admitted that Ron was like a brother to him, and he had made his feelings very clear about the whole situation. Seeing Harry in that state of emotional turmoil was not something she was used to, so she knew he had to have been really hurting. It had been Harry's pleading that had made her feel bad for him and to agree to help him, not the evidence. She was almost ashamed to admit that she had been close to letting her feelings for this boy distort what made sense.

She wanted so badly to pretend like he was innocent without getting all the facts. She wanted to continue her relationship with him like nothing was wrong. She had been thoroughly enjoying her time with him lately. He had been sweet, funny, and almost more mature. She was nearly certain that Ron had been enjoying their time together almost as much as her. He sometimes had some adorable fits of nervousness about what to say and do around her, but for the most part he had become more much comfortable with her. Not to mention their history together. She had been friends with Harry and Ron since first year. He hadn't always been the nicest to her when they were younger, but they had still been through a lot and he was a huge part of her life. Even through all their fighting and arguments, he had always been a part of her life and he would always be a part of her past. She still wanted him to be able to be a part of her future too. She found it very hard to believe that he would ever turn on them and join the Death Eaters.

But now that all of this Death Eater nonsense had come out, she wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything except what was going on with Ron. She wouldn't know what he was going to say about those papers until early in the morning at the time her and Harry had agreed to meet in the common room at to discuss it. What would happen if it turns out he _was_ a Death Eater? What would happen between them? Had he only been keeping up appearances for the sake of getting to what he needed? Or was he genuinely interested in being her friend again? Perhaps both? What would she do if he _was_ one of them?

The thought of it had tears forming in her eyes for the hundredth time that night. Maybe she could change him? If he was a Death Eater, he couldn't have been one for very long. Maybe he would be sorry for going behind them like this and would change sides again. Or maybe he wasn't a Death Eater per say, but more of an accomplice. Either way, it was bad. But maybe he would realize what he was doing isn't worth it and would come back to them.

She shook her head at her own thoughts. She couldn't even believe she was considering trying to forgive and change a Death Eater. Not that she believed Ron was a Death Eater yet, but if he was, apparently he would have her support rather than her fight. She was so conflicted by these feelings and she just wanted it to be over with. This attachment to Ron was threatening to have her throw all of her beliefs out the window. And for what? For his attention? His friendship? His company? Was that really worth her selling out her sense of reason? If had been anyone but Ron she would have immediately ostracised them completely for having been a Death Eater. This wasn't like her at all. She was _Hermione, _for Merlin's sake. She was Hermione: the strong-willed, intelligent, curious and good-willed young lady. Not this smitten, boy-crazed, emotional-wreck of a girl that she was behaving like.

She was driving herself mental thinking about what she should do. The only thing she really _could_ do now was pray that Ron had nothing to do with Death Eaters. That when Harry asked him about it tonight he would have a good explanation for having those papers in his trunk.

Hermione was suddenly reminded that Ron and Harry must have been talking by now. She had been lying awake for hours with her thoughts. Surely Ron had come back from his detention by now? She wondered what Ron would say when Harry asked him about the papers he found. She had never felt more anxious or nervous for morning to come. Hoping for the best and trying once more to fall asleep, she laid with her eyes still glued on the ceiling.

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Harry and Ron were both sitting in the common room, staring at the fire on their usual sofa. The room had emptied as it was very late, but Harry had been stalling to keep them down in the common room rather than going up to their dorm filled with other blokes trying to sleep. He wasn't sure how this conversation with Ron was going to go, but just in case he thought he'd better spare them being awoken by any potential shouting that may come out of it.

Ron was growing tired though, and Harry could only use the excuse of "the fire is nice and warm" so many times before it would become suspicious. He had to ask him now. It was now or never, and never was not an option. He sat up tall in his seat and turned to face Ron.

"Ron, there's something I wan-"

"Do you mind if I ask you someth-" Ron said simultaneously. "Oh, sorry, mate. You can go first," he said with a small chuckle and a bright smile. "You were saying?"

"Oh, err," stuttered Harry, part of him wondering what Ron had meant to ask him. He was not really sure how to proceed with his own as he sat gaping at Ron who was still smiling back at him like nothing was wrong. He really didn't want to do this. He wished he could convince himself that Ron was innocent. But he couldn't let this lie and he knew it.

"I, err, actually just wanted to ask you about something that I found in our dorm," he finally pushed out, his mouth dry from hanging open for so long. He closed his mouth and tried to remain casual as he scanned Ron's face for any sort of reaction.

Ron was looking at him through slightly narrowed eyes as he waited for Harry to continue. But before Harry could say anymore, Ron's eyes suddenly widened to the size of saucers and he winced under Harry's gaze.

"Listen, mate, I think I know exactly what this is about," he said as he bit his lip and his face started to blush. His eyes darted to the ground and he refused to make any eye contact with Harry now.

Harry watched in confusion as he tried to decipher what he was hiding. "You do?"

"Yeah, well you see, it's not like I, err, well…" he started as his hand started rubbing the back of his red-tinted neck. "It's not like I'm being creepy or anything, I mean it's just a picture. Lots of people have pictures. You have pictures, I have pictures, I mean we all have pictures, yeah?"

Harry's confusion had grown tenfold now. What in Merlin's name was Ron talk about? What picture? He resisted the urge to cut in and waited to see where Ron was going with this.

Ron stared at him with a hopeful look, but when Harry said nothing he sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Look," he said, dropping his head back down to look at Harry again. "I know it's a little weird, it's just something I like to keep on the table beside me. I like to, err, look at it sometimes," he said meekly. "I thought I had hid it better, but if it weirds you out I can move it. I'd like to point out though that if _you_ had a picture of _Ginny_ on your table I probably wouldn't make you get rid of it or anything. Well, maybe. But she's my sister, mate. So it's different."

Harry was now looking at him with his mouth half-open again and wide eyes. Suddenly understanding what Ron must have been talking about, he chuckled under his breath and gave Ron a knowing smirk.

"Ron…? Do you have, err…. Do you have a picture of _Hermione_ on your table?" He could barely compress the amusement in his voice as he watched as Ron stared back at him looking completely dumb-founded.

"What… err…? Well isn't that what you were talking about when you said you needed to talk about something you found in our dorm?" His face was flushing again and he looked horrified at having exposed his own secret. Harry tried his best not to laugh and simply shook his head as he stared back at Ron.

"Oh, err… Well, this is sufficiently awkward then, isn't it?" he asked, his face now bright red.

Harry couldn't help but chuckle again at his embarrassment. "I can't believe you keep a picture of her. Exactly how long have you had that for?" he snickered, still highly amused with what Ron had admitted to.

Ron rolled his eyes and sighed again. "Never mind that," he said as Harry laughed at him again. "If that's not it, then what is it that you found?"

Harry's smile then disappeared at the reminder of what he had actually been talking about. He felt his heart rate quicken as he gulped and stared at Ron again. The look Ron was giving him seemed innocent enough and made him seem genuinely confused at what Harry was asking about.

"Right. Well, err..." started Harry again, the blood pumping loudly through his ears. "Well I was trying to get my pyjamas on and I accidently stepped on this paper." He then pulled the papers out from his pocket and handed Ron the one with the poison instructions. Ron seemed confused, but he accepted the paper and began reading it. He waited as Ron stared at the paper like it had 5 heads, and then slowly looked up at Harry with a furrowed brow and small frown.

"This sounds exactly like what happened to me in Slughorn's office," he finally said in a questioning tone. "Why was this in our dorm?"

Harry felt his heart sinking. So he was just going to act like he hadn't seen this before? He wasn't even going to think of an excuse? Harry wasn't going to accept that answer. It couldn't be this way.

"I don't know why this was in our dorm, but I was wondering if you had any reason for why. Because I also found this sticking out of your trunk after I picked up that paper." He handed him the second paper with the two Unforgivable Curses printed on them. Ron's brow furrowed even more as soon as he laid eyes on the second paper.

"I've got no bloody idea why these were in there. You say this one was in _my_ trunk?" he asked, holding up the second paper.

Harry could only nod sadly as he looked into Ron's eyes, trying to figure out what was going through his mind. He hadn't looked like someone who had just been found out, but Harry couldn't be sure. What was upsetting him the most was that Ron wasn't providing him with any reason for why these papers were in his possession. He was just flat-out denying it.

"Well, who do you suppose had them in there?" asked Ron just as casually as Harry was pretending to be.

Harry could only blink at him. Why wasn't he giving him an excuse? A reason for why? He was finding it more and more difficult not to break out into a panic. His best friend could _not_ be a Death Eater. He needed him to say something more, something to clear his name.

"Well, they were in _your_ trunk, which is why I came to you first," he said quietly. He then watched as Ron narrowed his eyes at him and scoffed.

"Harry," he said, cocking his head to the side. "You're not seriously suggesting that these are _mine_, are you?" He sounded surprised, confused and angry all at the same time. Harry could feel his heart drop even further as his best friend stared at him, waiting for his response.

"Well, I mean, I wasn't sure if they were or not. But if they were I just was curious as to why you had them. So…?" He waited for Ron to jump in at his hanging question, but he still did nothing of the sort. He had given Ron multiple chances to give him a reason for why he had these papers, but still he was acting like he knew nothing about them.

"Harry, these are _not_ my papers. I can't believe you'd even need to ask me twice." He was looking at Harry with such disappointment in his eyes that Harry had to look away. He couldn't bear this. He couldn't tell if Ron was lying or not, but Ron hadn't given him an adequate explanation for it all. He was also making Harry feel very guilty and Ron hadn't even scratched the surface of what he had been suspecting of Ron. Someone had _used_ these curses on students at Hogwarts though, and he needed to be sure it wasn't Ron after everything Malfoy had said to him.

"Alright. I was just asking because they were in your trunk, and papers don't just appear out of thin air."

Ron was now staring at him with his mouth agape and his head still cocked to the side. "Are you saying you don't believe me?" he asked in an astonished tone.

"No, I'm not saying that at all. I was jus-"

"Yes, you are, Harry. You don't believe me! It's written all over your face," he said gruffly, his expression getting angrier and angrier. "So, tell me then," he shouted, suddenly standing up from the sofa and turning to face Harry. "Exactly what do _you_ think I'm doing with these papers that are supposedly mine? I'd _love_ to hear it!"

Harry didn't even want to say it. He could feel the guiltiness pulsing through his veins as he looked at Ron, who was waiting for his answer with a completely furious look on his face. It was amazing how similar his reaction was to Hermione's when he had told her a few hours ago. He decided he would avoid the use of the term 'Death Eater', but he would still have to come up with something.

"Look, Ron," he said calmly, standing up to meet his eyes. "I just wanted to make sure that you were okay. I mean, the only reason why someone would need instructions like this is if they were planning on learning it to use on something, or, err, someone."

He felt like his heart had shattered at Ron's sudden change from looking very furious to very, very hurt. Ron was now staring at the ground with his mouth still open and his eyes full of anguish. Harry hadn't expected he would take that well, but he hadn't thought that Ron would be so hurt by it. He felt the guilt inside of him creating an insurmountable pressure to just tell him it was all a joke and that he would never accuse Ron of such things. The way Ron was looking at the floor had his insides twisting into a knot as he waited for Ron to say something. He could only imagine what he would be like if he had actually accused him of being a _Death Eater_…

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Ron was staring at the ground, unable to meet Harry's eyes. He felt like he had just been stabbed in the chest. Perhaps stabbed in the _back_ might have been a better metaphor in this case. How could Harry ever suggest that he would want to use those curses on anyone? The accusation came with enough pain to kill.

He knew he had a bad temper, but to even suggest that he would be able to plan out a murder and kill someone was completely absurd. He didn't even think it was possible to be accused of anything worse. What hurt the most was hearing it come from _Harry._ His _best friend_. Practically his _brother_. The person who had been with him through _everything_, and vice versa.

He finally brought his head up to look at Harry, who was staring back at him with an expression almost as pained as his own. Ordinarily he would have wanted to punch out someone for accusing him of such things, but all he could feel was pain. Harry looked anxious to hear him say something, but Ron could only look at him. Finally, Harry looked away from his gaze and shook his head slowly before beginning to speak.

"Ron, I-"

"Is this what you think of me?" Ron asked quietly, cutting into whatever it was Harry had to say. He didn't want to hear it. Whether it was more accusing or an apology, he didn't care. He couldn't believe Harry would accuse him of this and he needed to hear it again just to be sure. "Is this what you think? That I would be willing to use these curses or this poison on someone? To kill someone?"

"Ron, I-I don't know what to think…" he said, clearly trying to advert from Ron's stare.

Ron still couldn't believe what was coming out of Harry's mouth. Now he was getting frustrated. He had spent _years_ as Harry's best friend, and yet Harry was able to question something as awful as _killing_? What possible reason could he have ever given Harry for being suspicious of such a thing? As far as he was concerned he _hadn't_ given him any impression of the sort. The anger that hadn't seemed to exist moments ago was now bubbling through him once more and replacing the heartbreak he had been previously feeling.

"Alright," he growled lowly, unable to hold back his temper. "How about I tell you what _I_ think then, hm? I think that you've got some _bloody nerve_. We've been best friends for _years_, and you have to question whether or not I would kill someone? When I ask if that's what you think of me, your answer should be 'no', not 'I don't know what to think'! If you really need me to confirm for you that I wouldn't use these curses on someone, then maybe we're not as close as I thought. Maybe everything I've been through with you doesn't mean as much to you as it does to me. I would never, _never_ accuse you of such things!"

"Ron, if you say they aren't yours then I'll believe you, but surely you have to see _why_ I would ask?" he asked in a loud and panicked voice. "They were in your trunk!"

"So bloody what! Did you consider any other possibilities? That maybe I'm holding them for someone? That maybe I needed them for study purposes? Maybe I just wanted to know them for my own protective purposes? Did you ask 'I wonder whose papers these are and why they are in your trunk, Ron' rather than 'Ron, why do you have these'? _No!_ You just quickly assumed that _I_ was learning them to _use_ on people. And that is what I'm struggling with the most right now, Harry. The fact that you'd just jump to that conclusion."

"Are any of those reasons true?" Harry asked hurriedly in what almost seemed like a hopeful tone of voice.

"No," he answered bluntly. "No, they're not. None of those are true. But the fact that they could have been, and you didn't even consider them…" he said, trailing off. "The truth is what I told you. That I don't know whose they are or why they were in my trunk. And you can either believe me or you can't. Either way, I don't care. Because if you were really my friend you would have never even needed to ask."

"Ron, you know I'm still your friend. I'm still your _best_ friend. I'm sorry for asking but we're talking about _really_ dark magic her. I just had to be absolutely sure!" he pleaded.

"Save it, Harry," said Ron angrily, holding up his hand to stop him. He couldn't listen to this anymore. It was too painful to hear and he felt like he was about to explode any second. He grabbed his bag and stomped away, leaving Harry there in front of the fire.

"Ron, come on! Just let me explain some more and you'll understand why I needed to ask!" Harry shouted after him.

He ignored Harry's pleas and made his way up the stairs and to his dorm. As far as he was concerned there was no good reason for why Harry could have needed to ask him such a thing. He couldn't believe this was happening after everything they had been through and everything he had put up with during their friendship. He stormed through the door and angrily chucked his bag on the ground as he got into bed and pulled the curtains around him, sealing himself inside with his fury and frustration.

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Harry watched in peril as Ron walked up the stairs and turned down the hallway to their dorm. There was no doubt in his mind now that he had been the biggest prat in the world. He wanted so badly to tell Ron about what Malfoy had said so that maybe he would understand why he needed to ask him such a thing, but Ron wasn't going to hear any of it right now. He slunk into the sofa and stared at the fire, deciding it would be best to wait until tomorrow when he had calmed down some more and was easier to talk to.

It had been one of the hardest conversations of his life, but at least he was sure of one thing: those papers were not Ron's.

He was sure of it now. The way Ron had reacted with such hurt and anger had Harry certain that he wasn't guilty. He didn't even care that Ron hadn't been able to give him a good reason for having them in his trunk. He didn't care about what Malfoy had said. He knew Ron had nothing to do with it, and he was a bloody arse for having even suggested it.

Ron was right. They had been through a lot together and he should have known that Ron would never have it in him to plan out a murder or kill someone for no reason. Ron was a good person at heart, despite his temper and his occasional insults to others. And the way it had pained him to hear Harry accuse him of that made it clear that he cared about Harry just as much as Harry cared for him. He was sure that the only reason Ron hadn't physically attacked him despite how angry he was getting was because of how much he cared for Harry.

Though despite the awful fight they had just had and how much damage he had no doubt just done to their friendship, Harry found himself very relieved by the outcome. The amount of effort and time on Harry's part that it would take to repair their friendship almost seemed worth it to be able to have sound proof that Ron was still loyal to him. Well, it might not have been soundest proof to anyone else, but to Harry it was. His reaction had said it all for him.

He knew he would spend a lot of time apologizing and making it up to him, and hopefully Ron would be willing to forgive him soon enough. He didn't blame Ron for hating him right now, but Harry had a feeling that once Ron had calmed down and had a chance to hear him out that he would forgive him. Right now he was just relieved and over the moon to know that Ron was not an enemy, even if it meant that he hated Harry. Somehow not having Ron at all, no matter how long it was for, seemed less awful than having him against him.

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**I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter! It was probably one of the hardest chapters I've had to write so far. Harry's emotions are really hard to express considering he is usually quite good at masking them. Same with Hermione, although it's not as hard to write for her considering she is still a girl, which is something I relate to quite well :)**

**I wanted to put more into this chapter, but for some reason I felt like I should just leave it how it is. So hopefully you guys are able to understand all 3 of the characters thoughts and feelings based off only my day and a half of work haha! The next chapter will hopefully be a tad bit longer. **

**DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW :) Thanks!**

**-ArticulateFiction**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry that I didn't get to update on Tuesday like I usually do :(! I just moved to a new apartment, and out internet didn't get hooked up until now. I won't lie, 5 days without internet is probably my worst form of torture -_-! But here I am with the latest update!**

**This is a lengthy chapter. It might even be a bit too long. Sorry about that! I couldn't decide where to end the chapter, but I am satisfied with my decision. There's a lot less angst in this chapter, but the next one will have more so don't get used to it!**

**I'd also like to thank everyone who has reviewed so far! It means a lot to me and I love to hear your guys' opinions on my writing. It also helps me steer the direction of the story towards what you guys want, so I'd appreciate if you continued to review!**

**Enjoy! :)**

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Chapter 9:

Hermione awoke from her sleep much earlier than usual. She quickly hopped out of bed and ran into the loo with a fresh change of clothes to start her morning routine. After ten minutes of fighting with her hair, she decided to just put it in a braid for the day and walked back over to her bed to grab her book-bag. She picked it up and flung it over her small shoulder, the weight of her many books weighing her down, and then quietly left the dorm so not to wake her dorm-mates.

She solemnly walked down the stairs to the common room, her eyes tired from the lack of sleep she had gotten the night before. Slumping over to the sofa in front of the fire and letting her bag fall to her feet, she slammed down into the sofa, crossed her legs, folded her arms across her chest, and tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling.

She couldn't say she was surprised that she was down there before Harry. She was always the early one, or at least on time, but she still hoped that Harry hadn't forgotten their agreement to meet down in the common room earlier than everyone else, and that he was simply late again.

She let out a sigh with her eyes still kept on the high ceiling above her. It had only been a couple minutes since she had sat down, but her nerves couldn't take much more anxiety and waiting. Her patience was wearing thin as she drummed her fingers on her elbows and began to swing her foot in circles at the end of her ankle.

Her mind was wandering again as she thought about how Harry's conversation with Ron could have gone the night before. As far as she saw it, there were two possible outcomes: Ron would have a good explanation for why he had instructions for Unforgivable Curses and lethal poisons in his trunk, or Ron would have a bad reason for having those in his trunk.

Obviously she was hoping he would have a good explanation, but she knew there might be a tiny chance that he wouldn't. She hated to admit it, but after talking with Harry and thinking it over the night before, Harry's Death Eater suspicions seemed entirely possible until proven otherwise. As much as she wanted to believe that Ron would never do that to Harry, the evidence was more than enough to at least be suspicious.

She wasn't sure what she would do if Harry came down and told her that he had confirmed Ron to be a Death Eater. She would like to be able to say that she would have nothing to do with anyone of the sort, but she knew deep down that if it was Ron, it would be different. She would probably try to convince him that what he was doing was unethical and to come back onto their side. And if he were to refuse, she'd have to find a way to let go of her feelings for him and their history together, no matter how much she didn't want to. Because she couldn't have any part of something she had always been against, not even for Ron.

Just when she was at her wit's end waiting for her friend to come down from his dorm and tell her what Ron had said, she heard soft footprints coming down the stairs behind her. Flinging her heard forward and turning in her seat, she felt her body flush with relief at a smiling Harry Potter walking towards her.

He started to jog over to the sofa, a grin from one ear to the next plastered on his face. He was _smiling_. As far as Hermione was concerned, that had to mean what he had to say would be good. The sight of his smile was enough to send all her troubles and worries rushing out the nearest window and she grinned back at him as he finally reached her and jumped over the back of the sofa, landing into the spot beside her.

"Fantastic morning we're having today, isn't it?" Harry beamed, the seat still bouncing slightly from the impact of him landing on it.

Hermione couldn't help her own grin from growing at the sight him. "Well, that depends on what it is you have to tell me," she said with a slight tone of sarcasm. She could tell already that it was good news.

Harry chuckled and then clapped his hands together. "Well, you'll be happy to know that Ron has no idea why those papers were in his trunk or whose they are."

Hermione's smile then disappeared and her brow furrowed. "So, he said he didn't know anything about them then? No reason for why they were in _his_ trunk?" She was slightly confused as to why Harry would be so pleased with that response from Ron.

"Exactly!" he shouted, looking as happy as a child in a sweets shop.

Hermione could only stare at him in astonishment. Harry continued to smile at her, evidently hoping for her to be as happy as him, but his smile soon faded at the realization that she wasn't as happy about it.

"What's the matter? I thought you'd have been ecstatic to hear that," he said, his face now filled with just as much confusion as Hermione's.

"Well, I mean, you're so excited about him not knowing anything about them, but… don't you think that's just a little bit, too easy? A little peculiar? He didn't even give you a good reason for why they would be there. He just denied it." Hermione could feel her heart sinking at her own words. It seemed as though she was now more suspicious of Ron than Harry was. Either that, or Harry wasn't strong enough to face the reality that his best friend could very well be a Death Eater and was just willing to accept any answer to prove otherwise... which was exactly what Hermione had promised herself she _wouldn't_ do.

"Well, I had the same train of thought when he first denied it," Harry responded sadly, his head lowering to look at his lap. "When he realized I didn't believe him, the expression on his face alone was enough to make my heart drop into my knees, honestly." Hermione could feel her heart breaking again at Harry's words. It was especially difficult to see _him_ in so much emotional pain, and hearing him talk about it made it that much worse. He wasn't prone to talking about things like this, so she knew it was especially painful for him.

"It was _unbearable,_ Hermione," he continued. "By far one of the worst things I have ever experienced, to see so much pain in his eyes. He was so hurt and so… angry" he said, suddenly smiling to himself at the last word and lifting his head back up to meet Hermione's now bewildered gaze.

Hermione's eyebrow arched on her forehead as she cocked her head a little to the side and eyed Harry. "And his hurt and anger makes you… happy?" she asked, bemusement seeping out of every word.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, the grin now back on his face. "You should have seen how upset he was when he thought I was implying that he might have been keeping the curses in his trunk for his own personal use. Obviously I felt terrible for having to put him through that, and I still do, but then he went on about how much it hurt to hear that come from me, that I would question whether or not he would kill after everything we had been through and all our years together, and I could tell that he genuinely cared about our friendship and about _me. _That alone was enough to make me certain. Ron had nothing to do with these papers."

Hermione could only blink at him in response. Sure, the whole realization that Ron truly cared for him was sweet and all, but was it really enough to clear Ron of something so serious? Or was Harry reading too much into a simple reaction from Ron?

Harry, realizing that Hermione wasn't yet convinced, let out a loud sigh and then bowed his head again. "Look," he started, taking one of her hands in his and raising his head to meet her stare. "I know it sounds completely absurd to that giant, logical brain of yours, but you have to trust me. This was a kind of hurt I had never seen in Ron before. If he was working against me or was part of the Death Eaters in any way, he wouldn't care so much about our friendship. He wouldn't be that hurt about me implying he would be able to kill. He would have just come up with some stupid sort of excuse and we would have had to investigate it to make sure it was honourable. But I'm certain that he's not involved in any of it. I don't need any reason for why they were there. All I know is that Ron is not behind it. I don't know who would be, but it's not him."

Hermione took in everything he said as she listened and stared into his pleading eyes. She had never gone wrong before from trusting Harry. And he had been especially, for lack of a better word, _paranoid_ lately. If he could trust Ron, then surely she could. She certainly _wanted_ to… more than anything. The logical side of her would definitely struggle with it for a while, as she had fully expected Harry to come down and tell her all about Ron's reasonable excuse for having the papers in his trunk. But she would just have to convince herself that she could trust Harry's judgement and this time would need no explanation. If a simple reaction from Ron was enough to clear his name in Harry's eyes, it would be enough for her. After all, Harry knew Ron better than anyone. It was the reason for why she had gotten sucked up in his suspicions against Ron, and now she would let it be the reason for why they should stop suspecting him.

She finally nodded her head in agreement and gave Harry a small smile as a flush of relief filled his face. "Alright, Harry. I trust you. If you say he had nothing to do with it and don't need any more proof, I will believe it." Harry grinned and nodded back excitedly, bringing her into a quick hug before breaking apart again.

Hermione smiled back at him, a comfort and relaxation sweeping through her that she hadn't been able to feel since Harry had first brought up the whole Death Eater situation last night. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard for her to forget about this all and put her focus back into the good things she had experienced with Ron over the past week, rather than the bad.

It was then that she was reminded that Harry had said Ron was angry with him. Did that mean he was angry with her as well? After all, she _had_ jumped on board Harry's train of paranoia with him. If he was upset with Harry, surely he would be upset with her as well. Everything they had worked on in their friendship over the past week would certainly be ruined.

"So, you said Ron's upset then?" she asked awkwardly, not really sure how to work in what it was that she really wanted to ask.

Harry winced at her question. Despite his relief and his happiness, she knew he would be feeling incredibly guilt about the whole situation. Harry was very well known for feeling guilty about causing people pain and suffering. It was one of the things that made him the good person that he was. Having personally hurt Ron, of all people, in _any_ way, must have been agony for him.

"Yeah," he replied sadly, a frown now overtaking the smile that was once drawn all over his face. "Yeah, 'fraid so. He ended up storming upstairs to our dorm. Said that if I had to question whether or not he would kill someone that maybe we weren't as close as he thought, and that I wouldn't have needed to ask if I was really his friend. And he's right, of course. I shouldn't have needed to ask."

"So what are you going to do about that?" asked Hermione in a sympathetic tone. Her and Ron had had their falling outs before, and it had become quite normal for them to be in a bit of a spat over the years, but Ron and Harry almost never argued. And this was worse than any other argument that her and Ron had shared, so she wasn't sure how Harry would handle it all.

"Well, I tried apologizing last night, but he was so angry he wouldn't hear any of it. I thought I'd maybe try again after he had cooled down. I'll explain a bit better; tell him about what Malfoy said about there being a Death Eater amongst someone who I could trust and am close with and all that noise. I know it's not a _good_ excuse, but I think he'll be able to understand little bit better about why I had my suspicions."

Hermione smirked to herself before responding. "Well, we both know how stubborn Ron can be. _Me_ more than anyone. Are you sure he'll be so understanding?"

Harry chuckled under his breath at her comment, no doubt in agreement with how familiar she would be with Ron's stubbornness. "No, I'm not sure. I'll probably have to do a lot more apologizing, begging, and kissing-up than I'm used to. But, such is the consequences of being the world's biggest git."

"Well, I wouldn't say you were the _biggest_ git," Hermione laughed. "But yeah, you were pretty bad."

Harry scoffed at her answer before laughing along with her. "Alright, I'll take that. I certainly haven't been the greatest friend, that's for sure." His amusement was fading again as he drifted off into space with his thoughts.

"Well, I haven't exactly been the best friend to him either. I was on that bandwagon with you, don't forget," she said sadly, guilt flowing through her as she thought more and more about what they had put Ron through.

"Well, to be fair it was me who put the idea in your head," he said in response. He then eyed her suspiciously and gave her a knowing smile before adding quietly, "And you don't have to worry about Ron hating you. I didn't tell him anything about our conversation. As far as I'm aware, he doesn't know that you were in on this."

Hermione smiled back and once again felt relief flush through her. "Thanks," she said quietly, a slight blush stinging her cheeks under his knowing stare. At least now she would be able to put this behind her much easier than Harry would be able to. And all the progress between her and Ron's relationship wouldn't be completely wasted. She regretted having ever suspected him, but it was bliss to know that things wouldn't have to change between her and Ron.

The sound of soft footsteps coming down the stairs was then all that could be heard, and Harry turned his head to see who it was. Hermione looked over his shoulder and bit her lip at the sight of fiery-red hair in the distance. Ron was trotting down the stairs, his head to the floor and his hands in his pockets.

Harry turned back around to face Hermione with a guilty look as Ron ignored them and made his way for the portrait hole with a relatively irritated look expression of his own. She and Harry both looked to their side when he walked past them and each gave him a smile. He didn't acknowledge either of them.

"Mornin', Ron," said Harry, a forced cheer to his voice. Ron continued to ignore him and kept walking, his eyes remaining in front of him the entire time.

"Morning, '_Mione_," he said casually in return, refusing to meet Harry's gaze as he continued walking towards the exit.

The obvious shunning of Harry made her feel very uncomfortable, but she felt she should answer nonetheless. "Morning," she replied quietly, feeling very put off by the awkwardness of the whole situation. She quickly turned back to Harry and gave him an apologetic smile as she watched him wince in Ron's direction.

"Looks like he's still pretty mad. Maybe now isn't the best time to talk to him," he said quietly, his face still full of guilt and sadness.

Hermione nodded in agreement. If there was one thing she knew about Ron better than Harry, it was how to sort out altercations. Going off of Ron's current mood, she would have to agree that he would still be pretty difficult to get through to. She watched sadly as Ron neared the portrait hole before Harry's voice pulled her out of her thoughts again.

"Maybe you should go catch up with him," he said, giving her a small smile as she turned to look at him with raised eyebrows.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" she asked, not wanting to abandon him completely.

Harry nodded and smiled again. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Besides, I'm sure he's in a worse mood than I am right now. And I can just wait down here for Ginny to come down. You go with him for now. I'll find a good time to talk to him soon."

Hermione nodded back at him, deciding he was right. "Alright, well I'll see you later, okay? If you need to talk come find me while Ron is in detention tonight, alright?"

Harry smiled and nodded again as she stood up and grabbed her bag. She gave him a small wave and jogged over to the portrait hole just as Ron was walking through it. She quickly followed him through and he turned to see who it was that had followed him. She was relieved to see him give her a friendly smile when he saw it was her, and she smiled politely back.

"Care for some company?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Sure," he answered, looking much happier to see her now than he had been when he had passed by her and Harry a moment ago. "Some _good_ company would be perfect right now, actually," he added with a small roll of his eyes. "I'm just on my way to breakfast if you feel like joining me."

Hermione could tell just by that remark that he would not be in the mood to talk with Harry for a while, and she appreciated Harry for not telling him that she had gone along with the suspicions even more. She decided that playing dumb to his and Harry's argument would be best for now.

"So, I take it something happened between you two then?" she asked casually, hoping he wouldn't read through her. She hated lying to him, but this had to be better than him being just as mad at her as he was Harry.

"You could say that, yeah," he said quietly as they started walking down the hall. "He didn't tell you?"

Hermione gave him an innocent look with arched eyebrows as she shook her head. "Tell me what?"

"Well apparently my best friend doesn't trust me. At all. Some friend he turned out to be…" he said crudely, a mixture of both anger and sadness prominent in his voice.

"Doesn't trust you?" Hermione questioned, feeling more and more guilty knowing that she had placed that same mistrust into him last night.

"Nope. No trust at all. After years of friendship and everything I've been through with him, I don't even deserve a little bit of certitude. But I don't really feel like talking about it now, if that's alright?" he asked with as much politeness as he could muster given his mood. "I've been thinking about it all night and morning and I'd rather think about something else for a while."

Hermione nodded as a sign of understanding. She could only imagine what he could be feeling right now. His best friend practically accused him of _murder_. Maybe not directly, but accusing someone of using curses intended for murder was practically one in the same. She felt more conscience-stricken than ever before. How could her and Harry have ever let themselves get caught up in all this nonsense? This was still _Ron_, they were talking about. And from the amount of pain and hurt that she could currently see behind his eyes, she completely understood what Harry had been talking about when he said he could now be certain Ron was never behind any of it.

Ron gave her a thankful smile and looked down at the ground, his hands still in his pockets. "So, err… what did you do last night? You know, after I went to detention and all?" he asked casually, trying to make conversation.

"Oh," she said, slightly surprised, yet happy, that he cared enough to ask. "Well, nothing really. Just, the same old stuff..." She was trying to avoid telling him that she had spent any time talking with Harry.

"Right," he said with a slight chuckle as he lifted his head back up to look where he was walking ahead of him. "I know what that means."

"You do?" she responded nervously, hoping that he didn't.

"Of course," he replied matter-of-factly as he smiled back at her. "As far as I'm concerned, 'same old stuff' with you means studying or reading, most likely in either the common room or the library, depending on the volume level of the people around you."

Hermione's eyebrows rose at how accurate his answer was. Given normal circumstances, it sounded exactly like what she would be doing on an evening with nothing else to do. The idea of Ron knowing her so well gave her a delightful feeling inside, and she couldn't help but blush under his stare as they continued winding down the hallways. His smile grew into a rather amused and smug one as he chuckled at her blush.

"Hit it right on the nail, did I?" he laughed.

"Well, that does sound exactly like me," she replied, smiling back up at him.

He chuckled again at her apparent disbelief. "Well don't sound so surprised," he added sarcastically.

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A few days had passed since Ron and Harry had had their spat, and Ron was growing increasingly depressed with what had happened between them. It was bad enough that Harry had accused him of holding some of the darkest magic in the entire wizarding world, but to make matters worse, Ron actually found himself craving Harry's company.

He had been absolutely livid with him a few days ago, and he was certain that wasn't an over-dramatic reaction after what Harry had said, but now he was just sad about not having his best friend. He was unhappy about not having Harry around, and that was possibly more frustrating than Harry himself right now. The fact that he missed Harry after the amount of distrust and paranoia that clearly lived in Harry's half of their friendship was infuriating.

He wanted to be done with Harry Potter and his stupid mishaps, his stupid scar, and his stupid, dangerous adventures. But a larger part of him wanted to go back to late night chats in their dorm, summers at The Burrow, and being best friends again. He _missed_ Harry. Even after Harry had proven himself to be one of the most terrible friends ever a few days ago, Ron still wanted him back. It was an annoying and depressing concept.

He'd never admit it to anyone though, not even Hermione, who had been some of his only company over the past couple of days. It had been Harry who was in the wrong, and Ron had every reason to be upset with him. What Harry had done was, as far as he was concerned, unforgiveable given the extent of their friendship. He wouldn't give in and just forget this ever happened. He wouldn't be the first one to make the move. This was Harry's doing, and if he wanted to be friends with Ron again he would have to fix this himself… if that was even possible.

Ron honestly wasn't sure if he would ever be able to forgive Harry, but he'd at least appreciate an _effort._ Harry had been avoiding him like The Plague, whatever that was… he had heard Hermione use the term before. It had been days since their argument, and Harry had made no attempt at an apology, or even a conversation about what had happened. To be fair, Ron had ignored every "Hello," "Good Morning" and "How ya' doin'?" that Harry had thrown at him, but that wasn't what Ron was interested in right now. He at _least_ needed an apology before he'd even consider being friends with him again.

He had hoped Harry would have already approached him. _Ron._ Not that he was willing to forgive him yet, but he didn't think he could take much more of their situation. _Ron_. He missed Harry a lot and just wanted to see that he felt even a little bit terrible for what he had said. _RON._ But until then, he would have to try and not miss him so much and keep whatever dignity he had left. If there was one thing he could do better than Harry Potter, it was carryout an argument. _RON!_ He had more than enough experience thanks to his arguments with Hermione over the years. He was stubborn, and he knew it, and he was fully prepared to ignore Harry as long as he had to, even if it meant not being friends with him forev-

"RON!" shouted Hermione, violently shaking him out of his thoughts. His eyes widened and he snapped his head to the left to see a worried Hermione staring at him through furrowed brows. He blinked rapidly and opened his mouth to question what it was that she was doing before he realized he must have been staring off into space.

Hermione's worry soon faded and she looked irritated. "What is _wrong_ with you? Staring off into the fire and ignoring me like that! I thought you might have actually been having some sort of medical issue or something!" she snapped in a stern voice.

"Sorry, 'Mione" he pushed out innocently, slightly intimidated by her tone of voice. He couldn't afford to have her mad at him, since she was the only one he had been spending any time with over the past little while.

Her face softened at the use of the nickname exclusively reserved for his use, and her frown started to disappear. "It's fine," she said, her voice much more calm. "What were you thinking about?"

"Oh," he said, not really sure he wanted to share his thoughts with her. Normally he wouldn't have a problem with it, but the fact that he missed Harry after how he had treated him almost seemed pathetic. He caught her knowing stare, and could sense a lot of worry and compassion behind it as she looked at him with doe-like eyes, waiting for his response.

"Err, I was just thinking about everything that's been going on in the past couple days, I guess. You know, just stuff." He could feel his cheeks starting to blush, though he wasn't entirely sure why.

"Ah…" she replied in a quiet, apperceiving tone. She bit her lip before asking "Well, is there anything you want to talk about?"

Ron appreciated the concern and her want to help him, but he was still sure he didn't want to share this particular thought with anyone. He gave her a sweet smile before shaking his head. "No, I don't think so."

Hermione gave him a sad little frown before asking "You miss him, don't you?"

Well, so much for that. Apparently he was as transparent as his mum's freshly-cleaned windows back at the Burrow. Not really sure what to say, he simply nodded his head and looked down at his hands fiddling in his lap.

"Well, have you considered trying to work things out?" she asked.

Ron couldn't help but snort under his breath. "Yeah, I don't think things are that easy right now, Hermione," he said sadly, still a little annoyed with himself that she had been able to see through him. "It's gonna' take a lot to fix this." He kept his head down, not wanting to see Hermione's expression. He didn't feel like explaining himself anymore.

"Well, I don't know what it is that went on between you two," she said quietly as she turned in her seat to face him, "but what I do know is that Harry has been miserable for the past couple days. And I know you have been too. I can tell you miss him, Ron."

Ron lifted his head up to meet her knowing stare. Something about her eyes and the softness of her voice made him want to spill his guts out to her, but he was trying to hold it all back.

"How is that?" he asked. "That you can tell? Has it been that obvious? Because I'm kind of trying to be, you know, angry about it all," he said satirically with a half-hearted smile.

Hermione gave him a tiny, sympathetic smile. "Well, over the years, we've had our share of rows and arguments-"

"'_Our share?'_ That's certainly putting it lightly," he said with a small chuckle.

Hermione clicked her tongue and tried to supress a smile before continuing. "Yes, well, _anyways_… over the years I've come to know your many moods. And this mood you've been in since your row with Harry… it's different. It's not like any _we've_ ever had. You seem, more _saddened_ by it than angry." She then smiled before continuing. "So no, you haven't been that obvious. I just know well enough based off _my own_ personal experiences."

Ron couldn't help but smile at her last comment. They certainly had had enough arguments to last him a lifetime, although he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy watching her get all riled up over him. And he couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved that he wasn't as transparent as he thought. Apparently he was only transparent to _her._ The idea of her being able to gauge his thoughts without him having said a word was somewhat terrifying, but at the same time very comforting. It made him feel that much closer to her.

"Looks like you know me almost as well as Harry does," he finally said, a small smile still lingering on his face.

"Well, maybe not _that_ well," she replied, a slight, pink blush filling her face. "But well enough, I suppose."

He smiled again at her embarrassment. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. We've been friends almost as long as Harry and I have been."

Hermione smirked and nodded back. "Yeah, almost. Do you remember back in first year? Before we were friends? You called me a-"

"A nightmare?" he cut in with a small laugh as he turned in his seat to face her and brought his legs up onto the sofa to cross them. "Don't remind me. I still feel like a git every time I think about it." He grinned as Hermione giggled at the memory. "Although, I have to say… you still _are_ a nightmare, sometimes."

Hermione gasped in a mocking way and swatted him on the shoulder, the smile still stretching across her face. Ron laughed harder as he flinched at her playful slap. "Oi! It was just a joke, 'Mione!"

Hermione giggled at his flinching as she let her hands fall back in her lap. "I guess I'll admit I haven't been the easiest person to be around. And I suppose you did make up for it by saving me from that troll."

"Yeah, that's true. If it wasn't for Harry and I, you might not even be here today," he teased with an amused inflection. "Then who would have kept me company over the past couple days?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at his smugness. "Yes, well glad to know that's all I've been good for since then. Keeping you company over the past couple of days," she said sarcastically.

Ron chuckled and rolled his eyes back at her. "Well, _maybe_ you've done more than that. I imagine I wouldn't have been able to pass all my classes without your homework help. I probably wouldn't be so good at arguing with my siblings without all the practice I've gotten off of you as well. And Harry and I would both probably be dead by now." He watched as she turned pink at his words, and he couldn't help but feel a bit cocky at being able to make her blush like that.

"I'm sure you both would have been fine," she said meekly. Ron could tell she was only being modest, though. It wasn't a secret that she was much smarter than both he and Harry put together, and she had bailed them out of more than one desperate situation.

"Nah, we'd be goners without you" he said sweetly as he took one of her small hands in his large ones, feeling unexpectedly emboldened by the shyness he had caused her. "Besides, it's always been the three of us…" He suddenly trailed off as he was reminded that their trio had been broken thanks to Harry's mistrust in him. "Well, _was_ always the three of us…"

Hermione's smile disappeared and was instead overcome with a frown. "Yes, I miss that too…" she half-whispered as she started to nervously play with his fingers in her hands. "You know, Ron, whatever it is that's going on between you two, I'm sure if you took the time to talk it out with him you could find some common ground again. I can't stand to see you or him like this."

Ron watched as she played with his fingers, basking in the feeling of her touch. "I don't know if I can, 'Mione. I really don't know." The anguish he could see behind her eyes was similar to what he felt inside of himself, and it was then that it occurred to him that this conflict between him and Harry wasn't only going to affect the two of them. The whole dynamic of their friendship with Hermione was bound to change too.

The anguish in Hermione's eyes then changed to surprise as she turned her head to look at something behind him and bit her lip, gently pulling her hands out of Ron's. Ron furrowed his brow at the sudden change, and turned around to see what it was she was looking at.

He felt his heart sink as he laid eyes on Harry, giving them an awkward, apologetic smile.

"Sorry," he said fumblingly, "didn't mean to interrupt."

"Not a problem," Hermione said quickly. Ron remained silent as he watched Hermione squirm under the awkwardness of the situation.

Harry nodded. "Good," he said was friendly as possible. "Because I was actually hoping I could talk to Ron alone for a bit."

Hermione and Ron's eyes both widened at his words. "O-oh," Hermione stuttered. She quickly looked at Ron, evidently trying to search for his reaction.

Ron suddenly felt very pressured as Harry and Hermione were both waited for his answer. He could simply ignore Harry and walk off to his dorm like he had been doing for the past few days, or he could hear him out and see where that would get them. He looked at Hermione, who was still staring at him with sad eyes, waiting to hear his response. He already knew what _she _would want. She would want him to forgive Harry and have everything back to the way it was. He wanted that as well, but he wasn't sure he could do it. How could he be friends with someone who couldn't trust him?

He looked up at Harry, careful to keep a stern face so not to give Harry the impression that he had any interest in being his friend again, despite the fact that it was true. He stood up, and looked between his and Hermione's pleading eyes. He had to make his decision now: walk away and forget about Harry for good, or listen to what he had to say.

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**Sorry about the cliff-hanger, but the chapter was already so long that I had to end it! You guys will just have to wait and see what Ron decides next week! :)**

**I added a little bit of Ron/Hermione fluff in there since it had been a while, but hopefully you guys approve of Hermione's decisions in this chapter. She's a very complex character to write for what with her logical brain and her compassion for others. **

**Don't forget to review! And the next chapter will be up next Tuesday as per usual. :)**

**-ArticulateFiction**


	10. Chapter 10

**Happy Tuesday, everyone!**

**I'm very pleased with all the reviews and feedback I've been getting from you all as of late, so I'd like to thank you for that! It's really quite helpful. :)**

**This chapter takes place directly after the previous on. I know that some of you were a little conflicted with what's going on between Harry and Ron recently, but this chapter should clear a lot of things up. Either that or it will make you crazy with confusion. There's a whole mess of anger, emotions, and angst in this one, and it's quite lengthy, so be prepared for that. This is strictly a Ron/Harry chapter. Hopefully you will agree with how I have written them. I'm especially interested on how people will react with my take on Harry in this chapter.**

**This was a very difficult chapter to write, so please go easy on me! And I'd appreciate any feedback and reviews. Hopefully you guys are anxious to see what I have planned for the next chapter, which will be up next Tuesday as per usual. **

**Thanks!**

**PS: All Harry Potter characters etc. are J.K. Rowling's, not mine, unfortunately. **

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Chapter 10:

Suddenly Ron felt very pressured. Harry and Hermione were both waiting for his answer. He could simply ignore Harry and walk off to his dorm like he had been doing for the past few days, or he could hear him out and see where that goes. He looked at Hermione, who was still staring at him with sad eyes, waiting to hear his response. He already knew what _she _would want. She would want him to forgive Harry and have everything back to the way it was. He wanted that as well, but he wasn't sure he could do it. How could he be friends with someone who couldn't trust him?

He looked up at Harry, careful to keep a stern face so not to give Harry the impression that he had any interest in being his friend again, despite the fact that it was true. He stood up, and looked between Hermione and Harry's pleading eyes. He had to make his decision now: walk away and forget about Harry for good, or listen to what he had to say.

He could feel his throat drying and his thoughts swirling as he tried to make a quick decision. Did Harry really deserve his friendship after what he had done? He had accused him of _murder_, as far as he was concerned. And if he truly thought that Ron would be so cold and so atrocious to be able to kill, then Harry definitely did not know him as well as Ron had thought.

He could feel the pain and heartache of it all filling him up once more, and found himself wanting to run. Taking one last look at both Harry and Hermione, giving the latter a sad, apologetic look for what he was about to, he began to walk towards the stairs, not being able to bring himself to say anything to either of them. He mounted the stairs, hearing Harry call after him but continuing to ignore him.

"Ron! Please! I just want to talk to you, that's all!" he pleaded, desperation now overtaking the friendliness that had been in his voice seconds ago. But Ron kept walking, keeping his face pointed down, not willing Harry or Hermione to see the sadness he felt.

He hurriedly walked to his dorm and entered the empty room, closing the door behind him. Dropping onto his bed, he quickly pulled the curtains around him and stared up at the ceiling to be alone for a while.

This was his decision. He couldn't be friends with someone who had mistrusted him so, and he couldn't be near Harry right now. The sight of him was too painful as he thought about how many years of friendship they had spent together that were now going to be wasted. As much as he wanted to forgive Harry, he didn't think he could. So this is how it would have to be. He would have to avoid Harry until the pain had subdued, and then he would move on with his life as per usual. Well, probably with much less danger and excitement, which was something Ron would probably _not_ miss from his friendship with Harry.

His eyes then widened slightly at the sound of the door to their dorm opening slowly, someone evidently entering the room and sitting down in the bed beside Ron's. Harry's bed…

Ron cringed at the intrusion of his privacy. He just wanted to be alone, and Harry was the last person he wanted to see. He was trying to let Harry go, for Merlin's sake. How could Harry expect him to do that if he was just going to keep following him everywhere?

"Ron. I know you're in there," a solemn voice suddenly came from Harry's bed. "Please, can we just talk?"

Ron remained silent. He had already made his decision. He wasn't going to let Harry walk all over him and act like he had done nothing wrong. He wasn't going to let Harry's charm or whatever inevitable mushiness that was bound to come out of his mouth change his mind. This was too important. He considered running again, but for some reason felt like he should stay put.

"Alright, listen," he continued, sounding exasperated at Ron's silence, which he had become quite familiar with over the past week. "You don't even need to say anything. You don't need to forgive me. I just need you to hear me out. Just listen, okay?"

Great. Now if he didn't say anything, he would be complying to Harry's request, but if he did say something, he would be implying there was something to talk about. He wished he could tune Harry out and just go to sleep, but a part of him, the same part that wanted to forgive Harry so badly, was desperate to hear what he had to say. And he really didn't have a choice now. He would have to just listen.

"I know I've been a terrible friend," he started, causing Ron to roll his eyes at the enormous understatement. "But you have to know that I never would have doubted you unless I had a really good reason for it."

Ron didn't care what his reason had been. 6 years of friendship should have trumped whatever it was he was going to use as an excuse for his behaviour.

"You remember how I've had my suspicions of Malfoy being a Death Eater,"

How could he not. He had been on about it so many bloody times since the beginning of the school year that Ron had literally considered lopping his ears off a few times after having to listen to him. He decided it wouldn't hurt to hear it one more time though as he wondered where it was Harry was going with this.

"Well, I was walking down the hall and I ran into him," he continued, casually talking as though Ron was actively participating in this conversation and he wasn't just talking to a closed curtain. "I made some stupid comment about him going off to do more dark tasks or something, and instead of denying it, he said I was acting like he was the biggest threat to the school right now."

Ron's eyes furrowed at the last sentence. He felt his curiosity peaking as he waited for Harry to continue after pausing, probably hoping to hear some sort of input from Ron. But he continued to stare up at the ceiling in complete silence, counting Harry lucky that he was even taking the time to listen to him when he could still run again.

Seeming to understand that Ron wasn't going to be saying anything, Harry continued. "So then I asked him if there were more of him around, and he said it's possible… with that stupid smirk of his. I told him to tell me who it was, but he just kept smirking and said he wouldn't sell out his own kind." His voice was now full of annoyance as he talked, rather than the more casual tone he had taken before.

Ron felt his eyes widen again at hearing about Draco's admission. He hadn't directly said he was a Death Eater, but he might as well have. He referred to them as his own kind. What else could that possibly mean? He felt his hatred for Draco burn hotter than ever before, and he also felt somewhat relieved to know that Harry hadn't just been going crazy, his sanity being something Ron had occasionally questioned while being forced to listen to him talk about it over the past months.

"So now I'm certain he is a Death Eater, Ron. And then he kept talking. He said it could be someone 'right under my nose'. Someone who 'I thought I could trust'.

Ron's brow furrowed some more, trying to detect where it was that Harry was going with this and what this had to do with him. Suddenly, thinking he knew the answer to his own question, he felt his heart sink as simultaneous hurt and anger started pumping through him.

"I didn't know who he was talking about at first… I had no idea. I certainly never even thought it might be you," he said quietly, sadness prominent in his voice once more. "I was going crazy trying to figure out who it was though. And then that night when I found those papers in your trunk, the same curse that had been used on Katie Bell a few months ago and that poison that had clearly been intended for Slughorn on your birthday… I even started to question whether Draco had been talking about you." Ron's face twitched with anger as his fear was confirmed. This was even worse than what Harry had originally said to him.

"You're the closest friend I have," Harry continued, sounding guiltier with every word. "And he said it was someone close to me. And you were under a love potion when you accidentally drank that poison yourself... I even considered that you have family working for the Ministry, and they spent all of last year slandering my name. I started wondering if your family had ever really even liked me… if they had ever been on my side or if it was all en elaborate scheme of some sort. And we already know there has been Death Eaters working under the Ministry before. Everything in my bloody, paranoid head was pointing to you."

A helpless anger simmered inside of Ron as he lay there, still staring at the ceiling, his teeth clenching as he tried to hold back from breaking his silence and shouting full-on at Harry. Not only had he suspected Ron of being a _Death Eater_, but he had also even suggested his entire _family_ was in on it. Still, he bit his tongue as a symbol of defiance while Harry continued on.

"I know that hearing this is probably only making things worse between us, but I had to tell you the truth. You deserve my full honesty after what I've done."

Ron's teeth clenched harder as a fever of rage scorched through his body. He had almost wished Harry hadn't been so honest about it. Accusing him of having those curses in his trunk was one thing, but to actually suspect that he was working for Death Eaters, for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, for the most ruthless, damnable, heinous wizard to have ever come into being…

"Anyways, I just wanted you to hear my reason for why I needed to double check that everything was fine with you. I don't expect you to forgive me or even understand my thought process, but after what Malfoy said and everything I've been learning about Voldemort and Death Eaters, and then the curses and everything else, it was just… a moment of weakness. I shouldn't ha-"

"A MOMENT OF _WEAKNESS?"_, Ron suddenly roared, violently pulling back his curtain and swinging his legs over the side of the bed to face Harry. He had snapped. His face was red with fury and he was seething at the mouth as he watched Harry recoil slightly at the sudden outburst. He could hear his blood pumping loudly through his ears and he no longer cared about his vow of silence against Harry.

Harry's eyes were wide with shock, but he quickly caught his composure again before stammering "W-well, yeah. Nobody's, err, perfect… right?" His voice had gone back to pleading as he watched Ron's face contort with frustration.

Ron continued to pierce Harry's eyes with his own as he breathed out heavily and shook his head. "No, nobody's perfect, Harry. But this is _beyond_ imperfection," he seethed. "This was so much more than a 'moment of weakness.' This was you proving to me that you don't trust me. You don't trust me after all these years!"

Harry shook his head at Ron's accusation. "No, Ron, you're _wrong_," he said, his voice full of emotion and guilt. "I _do_ trust you. I do! It was just a moment of weakness. We've all had them. Even you!"

Ron snorted in anger and shook his head just like Harry had. "No. Don't you _dare_ turn this on me, Harry!" he fumed, standing up and walking to the other side of the room out of fear of what he may do being that close to Harry in this moment. Stopping once he reached the other side and turning on his heel, he pointed at him and shouted "I have never, _ever_ done anything like this to you! And I never would have dreamed that you'd accuse me of this." Spinning back to face the wall, he had had just about enough of this and was ready to flee again.

"Ron, I'm not accusing you of anything!" retorted Harry, standing up and walking halfway to Ron. "I was stupid for even having contemplated the idea, I know! But I never accused you of it. I wouldn't unless I had all the facts. I just had to be sure. It's the only reason I ever asked! And I know I shouldn't have even needed to ask, but I thought you might understand, even a little. You've had doubts in me before!"

Ron turned back to face him with a completely astonished and angry look. "_REALLY. _And when exactly did I ever do that, Harry?" he snapped back, cocking his head to the side and taking a few steps closer to Harry. He could feel the rage bubbling up inside of him as he stared Harry in the face. He couldn't even fathom why Harry would think any of this was going to get him back on Ron's good side. Turning the tables on him like this? Not that it mattered, because as far as he was concerned he had never done anything like this to Harry. He had no case.

"Oh, come on, Ron!" snapped Harry, becoming more and more irritated, the sympathy draining from his face. "Don't you remember back in fourth year? Everyone thought I put my name in the Goblet of Fire myself, and nobody believed me. Including _you_. You were right on that bandwagon, no matter how many times I said it hadn't been me. You didn't trust me then, because you had a _MOMENT OF WEAKNESS, _Ron_. _How is this any different?"

Ron continued to stare at him with an angry face, but he inwardly cursed himself for having forgotten about that incident.

"Well, this is completely different!" he finally stammered out, trying to cover for his own actions from a couple years ago, but yet not even sure that he himself believed his own words. He watched as Harry gave him an exasperated, knowing look, perhaps seeing through his façade.

The look on Harry's face and the sudden turn of guilt onto him made him more frustrated as he rolled his eyes and pushed past Harry to slam back onto his bed. "Well it _is_, okay? Completely different… That was a stupid wizarding tournament, and we were younger then. This is _Death Eaters_, we're talking about!"

He watched as Harry walked back to his own bed and mirrored him, sitting on the edge of it to face him. He remained quiet, which made Ron feel very uncomfortable. He was looking at Ron with such a sad and tired look, evidently not knowing what else to say.

The sad look in Harry's eyes was stirring up some unwanted feelings inside of Ron again. He wanted to be angry with Harry. He wanted Harry to feel bad for what he had done. He wanted to be able to convince himself that Harry wasn't worth his time and he would be better off without him. But now that he was looking at him again, he couldn't. He could feel his defenses coming down once more as he and Harry sat in silence, both still staring at each other.

He supposed it wasn't entirely fair to say he hadn't ever mistrusted Harry. After all, back in fourth year he had truly believed Harry had been lying to him for a while. It was partly jealousy that Harry would be getting all the attention again, but he had suspected Harry of putting his own name in nonetheless, something he now knew Harry had not done and would not ever do. But it had taken him a while to come around and admit that he had been wrong, unlike Harry who had admitted he was wrong within seconds of having asked Ron about the papers in his trunk.

He could at least admit that Harry was much less stubborn than him and that he himself had had a 'moment of weakness', as Harry put it, back in fourth year, but he still could hardly compare the two situations. No matter how jealous he was of Harry, he would have never accused him of the things Harry had accused him of.

The more he thought about their past together and the friendship he would be losing out on in the future, the sadder he began to feel. The anguish had now completely overtaken the anger he had previously felt.

"You were like a brother to me, you know," he finally said quietly, his voice raw with emotion as it penetrated the silence. "You were like family. And not just to me, but to everyone back at The Burrow." Harry looked down at his lap, unable to say anything. "How could you ever think such horrible things about us, Harry? About me? You should have known I would have never done anything to hurt you in any way." The conflicting emotions he was feeling all at once were getting too much to handle. Minutes ago he had been completely livid with Harry, now all he wanted to do was sit in the dark, alone with his thoughts, and be sad.

Harry remained silent, his head still down at his lap, unable to meet Ron's eyes. Ron almost felt bad for him in that moment, but the guilt Harry was feeling was well-deserved. He would have to learn to live with his actions.

Deciding he couldn't handle the emotions running ramped through him anymore, he said in a half-whisper "I think we're done here now… and for good" and closed the curtain around his bed and laid back down, hoping Harry would take the hint to leave him alone. He had stood his ground like he had promised himself he would, and Harry had nothing more to say.

He turned over on his side, facing his back to Harry's bed on the other side of the curtain, and closed his eyes. He just wanted this night to end forever. Harry's attempt at an apology had only made things worse. He just wanted to go to sleep and wake up tomorrow, completely Harry-free.

He laid there for a while with his eyes closed, almost ready to fall asleep, until a sudden, faint noise stirred him out of it. He peeled open his eyes, not sure if he had heard it correctly or not, then closed them again. A second later, he opened his eyes as he heard the noise again. A tiny, barely-audible sniffle that had come from behind him.

He then realized that he hadn't heard Harry leave yet, and that he must have still been in the room with him. A third sniffle came from behind him, breaking Ron's heart into a million different pieces. Either he was all of a sudden ill with a cold, or Harry Potter was _crying_. He could honestly say he had never considered that Harry was even capable of tears. After all the years they had spent together, Harry had never really been interested in opening up about his life. He had been through a lot, but still he remained strong and avoided most chances of showing any kind of sadness, always willing to listen to other people's problems instead of talking about his own. He had always preferred keeping things bottled up inside, which in all honesty had been fine with Ron, because he had no advice to give for any of Harry's problems. And now he was sitting on the other side of this curtain, evidently crying over Ron.

Ron slowly sat up in his bed, the anger he had been feeling completely wiped from his mind. The thought of Harry being that upset about losing him made him start to understand that maybe Harry had just had a moment of insecurity. He slowly opened his curtain enough for his head to pop out and saw Harry sitting on the other side of his bed, his back facing Ron.

"Harry?" he said quietly, not really sure what else he should do. "Harry, are you… crying?"

Harry's back suddenly straitened and Ron saw him bring his sleeve up to quickly wipe away all evidence of it being true. "N-no," he stammered out, his voice shaky with emotion. The horrible attempt at a cover-up might have almost been comical if his heart hadn't been aching so badly. He watched as Harry finished wiping his face and sniffled once more.

"Yes, you are," said Ron sadly, getting out of his bed and walking around to the other side of Harry's, sitting beside him. Harry shook his head and turned in his seat in the opposite direction of where Ron was now sitting, clearly trying to hide his face.

He waited for Harry to say something, but he remained silent, his body still facing away from Ron's. "Harry, why are you crying?" he asked, willing him to say something despite the fact that his reason for crying was fairly obvious. A part of him wanted to hear it come from Harry's mouth though.

Harry remained silent, shaking his head again and looking down at his lap. After another minute of silence, Ron egged him on once more. "Harry," he said quietly, putting his hand on Harry's left shoulder and gently turning him to face him. "Tell me why you're crying."

Harry finally raised his head up from his lap, and Ron could feel his heart break again at the sight of his slightly red, strained eyes. He felt extremely uncomfortable seeing him in this state. Harry was still avoiding making direct eye contact, looking thoroughly embarrassed to be crying in front of Ron. "I-I don't know," he finally answered, his voice still thick with emotion as he shook his head again.

That wasn't what Ron wanted to hear. "Harry, there has to be a reason. I've never seen you cry in my entire life. Now why are you crying?" he asked firmly, still trying to remain calm.

Harry finally met his stare, his eyes glassy with un-fallen tears. "I just can't believe I could have ever considered you'd be anything but on my side," he said, trying to keep an even tone to his voice, though not being successful.

"Yeah, well neither can I," replied Ron sadly. "But you did. And I don't think I can get over it." Harry winced slightly at his words, looking like he might start crying again, and Ron felt badly for having to be so bitter. Feeling like he should explain a bit better, he continued "I just feel like if you truly knew me as well as I thought you did, you wouldn't have needed to ask. Even with all the signs pointing towards it."

"Ron, surely you can remember how you felt back in fourth year," he pleaded. "I don't blame you for thinking I had put my own name in there. Everyone was saying it was so, and it seemed unlikely that my name would just appear like that. I was upset at first, but I forgave you eventually because you made a mistake and it wasn't completely unreasonable to have thought that. Why can't you do the same for me?"

"I wish I could, Harry" Ron said sadly, shaking his head wildly. "But this is too much. I think about how you just assumed I would have anything to do with Death Eaters and the Killing curse, and everything else… You didn't even consider any other options. It's almost like you didn't care enough about me or our friendship to be able to take the time and really think about things. You just jumped to the easiest conclusion."

Harry looked even more shattered than before. "Ron, you can't possibly believe that I don't care about you," he said, complete disbelief hanging off every word. Ron remained silent and looked away from him.

"Ron," he said after a moment, placing his hand on Ron's shoulder as a sign for Ron to look at him again. "I can't believe you think I don't care about you or our friendship. It's _because_ I care about it that I needed to ask you about those curses I found in your trunk. I couldn't bear to have you against me. I was freaking out when I found those things in your trunk. I could only think about how much worse off my life would be if you had been a Death Eater and we were no longer friends." He paused for a moment as the emotion started pouring back into his voice, evidently trying to keep his composure.

Ron felt his heart sinking further as he listened to Harry's words. Who was he kidding? Thinking he could stay mad at Harry for something he himself had done before? It was clear that Harry felt horribly for what he had done. Listening to him talk about his emotions and seeing him on the verge of tears was a very surreal experience, and he felt his own eyes stinging as he realized how much Harry must have cared to be crying about losing Ron as a friend. He almost never cried, certainly not in the presence of anyone else.

Harry was trying to hold back his tears, but he couldn't help but sniffle once more before speaking again. "Ron, who was it that tricked you into thinking you were drinking Felix Felicis so that you'd be confident enough to do well in our first Quidditch match this year?" he asked, waiting for Ron's answer. Ron simply looked at him. "Right," he said, ignoring the fact that Ron hadn't said anything. "It was me. Because I can't stand seeing you so unhappy. And who was it who saved you a few weeks ago on your birthday when you were poisoned?"

"You," Ron said solemnly, this time feeling he should respond.

"Right," said Harry, sniffling again. "Because I couldn't stand it if you died. Would I have done that if I didn't care about you?" he asked.

"You would have done that for anyone, Harry," Ron responded, certain that Harry would have saved anyone who had needed it in that moment.

"Fair enough," he sniffed. "But who was it that they took, back in fourth year, and put down in the river for me to save during the second task of the tournament? The thing I would miss the most?"

Ron looked at him for a minute before answering. "It was me," he finally pushed out, his voice now just as emotional as Harry's.

"Right," Harry said matter-of-factly. "It was you. And it still would be you today. Hell, it's only been a week since you stopped talking to me and I already miss you like crazy," he admitted bashfully. "And now hearing you say that you'll never be able to forgive me… that we're 'done for good'… I don't think I can handle that, Ron. Well… _clearly_ I can't," he said, referencing the small tear he was now wiping from the corner of his eye as he bowed his head a little. "I need you in my corner, Ron. I need you there for me like you've always been. There's too much to handle on my own, and I need to know that there's still someone in my life who I can trust with everything."

Ron wasn't sure what it was - whether it was seeing his best friend crying, or hearing him admit to missing him and not being able to handle not having him in his life, or realizing that Harry seemed to be genuinely sorry for what he had done, or if it was combination of it all – but he suddenly felt like he might be willing to forgive Harry, or at least consider being his friend again. But he had to make sure of something first.

"_Can_ you trust me with everything?" he asked, his face now stony and void of emotion.

Harry nodded sadly. "Yes. I can now. I should have all along. But I know for sure that I can now," a small sense of eagerness in his voice, almost as if he could feel Ron giving in. He stared at Ron with his teary eyes in anticipation of what he would say next, a small glimmer of hope behind them as he waited patiently.

He was then thrust backwards from the force of Ron pouncing on him, wrapping his arms around Harry in a forceful embrace. Harry was clearly startled at first, but Ron could feel him quickly reciprocate the hug as he tightly wrapped his arms around him and buried his chin into the crook of Ron's neck. Ron was pleased to feel Harry return the hug with such enthusiasm, as they had only experienced so many hugs together over the years, usually after having spent summers apart and never lasting more than a couple seconds.

"You know, I promised myself I wouldn't let you and your sappy girl-talk change my mind about this, so you better not let me down again," Ron said half-jokingly after a while had passed. He could feel Harry smile slightly into his neck at the much needed mood-lightener.

"I know," he responded quietly. "I'm really sorry, Ron," his voice full of emotion again to the point where he almost sounded like he might cry again.

"You _really _need to stop crying, mate," Ron said, his voice shaky from the tears that were stinging his own eyes now. "Seriously, you're making yourself look like a complete tosser."

"I'm not crying," responded Harry, sniffling back his tears again.

Ron chuckled lightly into Harry's shoulder. "Good. Then I'm not either," he said, gripping Harry tighter and wiping the small tear that had escaped one of his own eyes onto Harry's shirt. He was quite happy to know that they were alone right now, because if anyone could see them now they'd probably be labelled two of the most pathetic boys in sixth year by their peers. They both appeared to have a clear, dependent need for the other in their lives. But for now he didn't care. He felt a great comfort in hugging Harry after having been so angry with him. He honestly didn't like being upset with him.

"I think maybe we need to start trusting each other better," he said. "The both of us."

"I think so too. It'd probably save us a lot of awkward encounters like this one," Harry said in a joking tone. "We should just accept that we're going to be best mates for a long time and learn to trust each other."

Ron laughed and nodded his head in agreement, still clutching to Harry. "Promise?"

"Promise," Harry responded.

Another minute went by before Harry said "So when you said I _was_, like a brother to you…"

"You still are, you git," said Ron, secretly delighted to know that it meant that much to Harry to be considered his brother.

"Just checking," replied Harry. Ron could feel him smiling again as he said it.

Deciding he had gotten everything out and was ready to move on, Ron asked "So are we all sorted now? Because my back is getting a bit sore from hugging like this for so long."

Harry laughed and nodded his head. "Yeah, we're sorted."

"Brilliant," Ron said, releasing him from the hug but keeping his hands on both of Harry's shoulders. "Then let's never talk about this to anyone. Agreed?"

"Agreed," said Harry, a grin stretching across his face.

A sudden knocking on the door had them both shooting up from their spots on Harry's bed with wide eyes and quickly wiping away any excess tears that might have still been visible.

"Ron? You haven't killed Harry in there, have you?" A familiar voice floated through the door. "Is everything alright between you two? You've been up here a while and it's almost time for Ron's detention with Professor Snape."

"Bloody hell…" said Ron, suddenly remembering the torturous evening he was about to endure after finally making up with Harry. "Well, leave it to Hermione to be the one to remind me of my detention," he said with a small laugh. He knew though that she only reminded him of things like that because she didn't want him to get into any more trouble.

He gave Harry a slap on the back as they walked over to the door. He pulled open the door and saw a worried looking Hermione standing on the other side, nearly toppling over from having the door yanked open from under her curious ear that had been pressed up against it. He and Harry both laughed, and Ron rolled his eyes as they pushed past her, closing the door behind them.

"So I take it you boys made up then?" she asked excitedly as she followed them down the stairs back to the common room.

"I don't know what you're talking about, 'Mione," said Ron, a teasing tone to his voice. "We were never in a fight to begin with. That would be quite immature and girly of us, wouldn't it be, Harry?"

"But of course," said Harry, playing along to Ron's little game as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "We've always gotten along, haven't we, Ron?"

"I would say so!" replied Ron, loving the humongous eye roll Hermione was giving them as she tried to supress her smirk.

"Well, good to know things are back to normal," she beamed, unable to contain her happiness despite their teasing.

Ron couldn't help but smile at her happiness. He knew she was pulling through for him and Harry to have patched things up, and she had gotten her wish. "Anyways, I gotta' get down to my detention with that slick-haired nightmare. I'll see you guys when I get back, yeah?"

"Sure, well meet you here" said Harry, sounding extra happy to have been able to say that.

He swung his book bag over his shoulder and made his way for the portrait hole, turning to face them one more time and giving them another wave before stepping out. He pulled the portrait closed behind him and began making his way down to the dungeons, feeling much happier than he should be considering why he was going there.

He was just so happy from his talk with Harry that he couldn't help smiling all the way down to the dungeons. He was willing to put everything behind them now that he was certain that Harry felt bad about it all and that he trusted Ron again. They had made a promise to always trust each other from now on. Hopefully they would both be able to keep that promise, no matter what the world would throw at them.

His mind then wandered to those papers Harry had found in his trunk. He hadn't thought about it much over the past week because he had been trying to think of anything but that whole situation, but now he was curious as to who had put them there. His thoughts were stirring as he rounded the next corner, bumping into someone whilst doing so.

He looked up to see Seamus Finnigan staring at him with wide eyes. "Oh, sorry mate," he said. Seamus just stood there with his eyes wide, and moved to walk around him without any more eye contact.

Ron furrowed his eyebrows as he watched Seamus walk around him and stare at the floor, looking nervous about something. "Oi, you alright there, Seamus?" he called after him. He received no response though as he watched Seamus walk down the halls, and he wondered why Seamus was even down in the dungeons to begin with. He had certainly been acting weird lately.

Shrugging it off and deciding that Seamus probably just had an earlier detention for something tonight, he made his way for the classroom that Snape was waiting for him in and gulped before opening the door and entering the room.

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**And again with the Seamus thing. Alright, so that was Chapter 10! Big, long, Ron/Harry session they had there. Sorry to all who aren't a fan of a good bromance, but I happen to be a HUGE fan of it. Especially Harry/Ron's! So, sorry for all the sappiness. It's not something you see a whole lot of in the books and especially not in the movies, so I thought I'd add some of my own. **

**I know some of you may be a little disappointed in Ron for not standing his ground better, but I think we can all agree that Harry was genuinely sorry and hurting for having put Ron through that, and that Ron and Harry will always be able to work things out, no matter how rough things have gotten. Or at least, so you think… :) Just kidding. Or maybe I'm not… WHO KNOWS. You will have to tune in for the next few chapters to find out. **

**Next chapter will be up next week, and there will be more focus on Hermione/Ron and then Hermione/Harry. Should be an exciting one! **

**Don't forget to leave your feedback in the form of a review! :)**

**-ArticulateFiction**


	11. Chapter 11

**Happy Tuesday, everybody! **

**Thank you so much for all your reviews so far, I do really appreciate it! It's good to see a lot of you feel the same as me about Ron/Harry's bromance, or rather lack thereof in the movies. I know some of you were a little disappointed to see Ron give in to Harry so quickly, but I can assure you that it won't be the last you hear from it. I'm not going to give too much away though, so you'll have to wait and see! :)**

**This chapter is pretty fluffy. It's mostly a Ron/Hermione chapter, with an important realization on Ron's part. There is a little twist at the end though, hopefully it will keep you on your toes!**

**Don't forget to review with your comments/suggestions, and don't forget to enjoy! :)**

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Chapter 11:

"It's not working," fumed Draco, sitting up from his laying position on his bed. "I thought it might have been for a while there… they hadn't been seen together in a week. But for the past few days they've been joined at the hip like they always are!"

Crabbe shrugged and fidgeted in his spot where he was leaning against the footboard of the bed in front of Draco. "Maybe they didn't see the papers then?" he asked innocently.

"I put them in his bloody trunk!" snapped Draco. "No, I think they just don't care like I thought they would. Apparently their _friendship_ is strong than Potter's paranoia," spurted Draco in a mocking tone. "I'll have to come up with something else. Something more… definitive…" he trailed off, trying to mull it over in his mind. His mind flashed to what would happen to his mother, his father and himself if he were to fail and be found out, and his blood boiled and pumped through him at an unhealthy rate as he shuddered inwardly at the Dark Lord's threats.

He had been in and out of the Gryffindor common room for a week now disguised as Seamus, trying to figure out whether or not Harry and Ron's friendship had deteriorated after he placed some very incriminating evidence in Ron's trunk and put it in Harry's mind that someone close to him was a Death Eater. He had hoped that would be enough to cause Harry to think it was true, but he wouldn't still be associating with Ron if he had honestly believed him to be a Death Eater. He would have to come up with something better to push him in that direction.

He was trying to think of something certain… something that would guarantee for Harry that Ron was not on his side. After a few minutes, an idea then popped into his head, and he smiled devilishly at the thought of it. Goyle, noticing the smile on Draco's face, then began to smile wickedly and nod his head in a knowing way, chuckling to himself like he had just heard and approved of Draco's plan.

Draco snapped his head over to Goyle and stared at him with one arched eyebrow, his face frowning and full of confusion. "What the hell are you laughing at?" he asked viciously.

Goyle shook his head and relinquished any form of evil expression, blinking his eyes and looking innocent. "Oh, I thought you might have had an idea," he said.

Draco simultaneously rolled his eyes and shook his head as he walked past his friends and exited the dorm. Sometimes he wondered how Goyle even made it through any of his classes without his brain bursting like an Exploding Bonbon.

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Ron and Hermione were in the library, sitting at one of the far back tables where Hermione usually liked to sit when she had some studying or reading to do. Ron had requested she help him with some homework as he was getting behind in his Charms studies, which was something everyone knew Hermione excelled in, much like everything else.

It had made him quite happy to have her accept his request since they hadn't spent a whole lot of time studying together for a while. She had refused to assist him back when he had been dating Lavender, and he hadn't spent a whole lot of time alone with her over the past few days after his reconciliation with Harry. He and Harry had been catching each other up over the events of the week they had spent apart from each other, as pathetic as that sounded. But tonight Harry was off with Ginny, and he really did need help with his work, so he asked Hermione to join him in the library to assist him.

He was trying his hardest to genuinely listen to Hermione's instructions and help with the homework, but he was finding it quite difficult to focus on it tonight. Every once and a while he would have to remind himself that he wasn't going to pass unless he paid attention to the help he was receiving, but it was no use. A simple flick of her hair over her shoulder as she leaned over the books and papers was enough to stray him again and he found himself openly staring at her, completely oblivious to the words coming out of her mouth about various charms and their effects. He'd be lying if he said that he wasn't a little disappointed in himself for letting a girl have this kind of hold on him, but the more he dwelled on it the more he realized that this wasn't just _some girl_. This was Hermione, and she had always had that effect on Ron, no matter how much he had been willing to deny it when he was younger.

Now he was lost at the sight of her again, his breathing slow as he rested his head on his right fist, which was being propped up by his elbow sitting over top of some papers that had been spread out over their table. Hermione pulled her head up from the textbook, turning her head to face him with narrowed eyes. Realizing that she was annoyed about something, he quickly snapped out of it and shook his head to clear his lingering thoughts of what her hair might feel like and how soft her skin must be.

"Are you even listening to me, Ronald?" she asked irritably, throwing her quill on the table and sitting up to cross her arms over her chest as she stared daggers at him.

Ron's eyes widened at the sudden outburst. To be honest, he hadn't heard a word she had said for quite some time. But from the look on her face, he thought he'd better not tell her that. "Err… yeah, of course I am. I'm listening… of course I'm listening, Hermione, honest!" he stammered, completely aware of how pathetic and phony it sounded.

Hermione rolled her eyes and he instantly knew she could see through his weak attempt at convincing her otherwise. "Alright, Ron. What was I just talking about?" she asked smugly, knowing he probably wouldn't be able to answer her.

"Err… well… you were just talking about how, err… how I wasn't listening! Even though I was," he said, knowing that that wouldn't sit with her but feeling he should try anyways.

Hermione continued to glare at him with a furrowed brow. "Honestly, Ron, if you're going to make me sit here for hours to help you with _your _homework so that _you_ don't fail, you could at least make an effort to pay attention!" she said in her best motherly-tone. "There are other things I could be doing besides clearly wasting my time sitting here with you."

"Alright, I'm sorry. Keep going then," he said as nicely as he could, motioning towards the book and hoping she would continue. Despite the fact that he was hardly getting any work done, he still didn't want her to leave.

To his dismay she continued to glare at him. "Why should I keep going if you aren't even going to pay attention?" she asked stubbornly, her arms still folded tightly across her chest.

Ron rolled his eyes at her stubbornness. "I _am_ paying attention; I just drifted off for a couple minutes, that's all. Please?" he asked again, giving her his best puppy-dog eyes.

Her face finally softened and she rolled her eyes once more before uncrossing her arms and arranging herself to be closer to the table again. "Alright, _fine_, but you need to pay attention this time," she said sternly, finding her place in the textbook once more.

Ron nodded vigorously in agreement and pulled his chair closer to her so that he could follow along better with what she was saying. He stopped pulling his chair when he felt their knees touching, and decided he was close enough. Snaking one arm around the back of her chair and propping the other on the table with his elbow, he rested his chin in his hand and looked down at the book with her, waiting for her to resume.

After a moment of silence passed, he asked "So, are you going to keep going then?"

"Oh, err… yes," she said stiffly, suddenly sounding somewhat nervous about something. "Sorry, I just… can't remember where I was." She sounded almost as astounded as he was to hear those words come from her mouth.

Ron snorted in amusement. "_Really,_" he said, a teasing tone to his voice. Hermione almost never forgot or confused anything, so he certainly wasn't going to waste a perfectly good opportunity to rag on her about it. She turned her head to look at him with her signature stern glare, but as she turned her head they both became aware that their faces were only a couple inches apart since Ron had pulled his chair in closer.

Ron immediately felt his breath catch in the back of his throat at the proximity of her face to his, and he could feel his blush beginning to burn through his face as his eyes now stared directly through hers. His eyes were then immediately drawn to her mouth, and Hermione's own face developed a slight tint pink before she quickly looked back down at the textbook. Ron looked down too, clearing his throat before saying with a broken voice "Right, so just, err… yeah, go ahead and find your spot then."

Hermione nodded her own head and began scanning the text, trying to find her place. A few seconds later she said shyly "Oh, right, here it is," and then carried on, trying to behave as if nothing had happened.

Ron tried his hardest to listen to every word she said at the risk of her asking him what she was talking about again, but he couldn't stop thinking about how close his face had been to hers. A couple inches were all that had kept him from taking her lips under the mercy of his own. He wanted so bad to just reach down and steal a kiss, but he knew it wouldn't be appropriate, and he wasn't entirely sure if that's what she wanted herself. He could only imagine what would happen to the bloke who tried to kiss an unwilling Hermione…

The words coming out of Hermione's mouth began to fade into the background once more as he processed the intimate position they were still in. She might have turned her head away in a moment of closeness, but if she wanted to, surely she could have scooted even a little bit further away from him. And yet here she sat, her back now pressed up against his arm around the back of her chair as she rambled on about his Charms homework.

Homework was one of his most hated things on the planet, but something about doing it with Hermione had always managed to make it bearable. He'd admit he spent a large portion of the time just zoning out with his thoughts as he stared at her, but if it had been anyone else he probably wouldn't even bother to do it at all. Something about the way she talked about school in such a sure and confident manner made him crazy for her.

He peeled his eyes away from the textbook in order to catch a glimpse of her lips moving as she talked, but instead he came face to face with another irritated look. Apparently she had stopped talking, and he hadn't any idea of how long ago she had stopped.

He winced at the look on her face as he braced himself for another scolding, but was confused to see her frown contort into a smirk as she rolled her eyes and looked down at her lap, letting a few quiet giggles escape her mouth. Ron couldn't help but smile and chuckle with her. "What's so funny?" he asked, still amused by her display.

"Nothing," she said nonchalantly as she smirked up at him again, their faces dangerously close once more. "Sometimes I just wonder what's going through your mind. I mean, I know this stuff isn't the most exciting stuff possible," she said, motioning towards the textbook in front of her, "but it's been about 2 minutes since you said you would pay attention and you're already zoning out."

Ron chuckled at the unusual change of mood. "You don't want to know what I'm thinking about," he said, still smiling down at her, contemplating what it would feel like to scoop down and take what he had wanted for so long. For a moment she stared back at him, not daring to move from their current position, but eventually she laughed under her breath and looked back down at the textbook, closing it and collecting the papers around her.

"Right. Well, I think we're about done here," she said, still smiling as she began stacking Ron's things for him.

"Oh, err… okay," said Ron meekly, lifting his head off of his hand and untangling his arm from around Hermione as he started to help her clean things up. "Sorry I wasn't much help tonight," he added, feeling genuinely apologetic for always wasting her time like this for homework help. It seemed selfish to ask her for assistance knowing that he mostly sought her help so that he could gawk at her all night, but she never seemed to mind helping him too much.

"That's alright," she responded politely. "I know you _try_ to stay focused, but sometimes our thoughts are more powerful than we'd like."

He smiled at how true her statement was, almost as if she knew what he was going through from her own personal experiences. "Well, thank you anyways. I'll try to work on it, promise."

Hermione smiled back at him and then picked up her quill and packed it away, closing her bag and sitting it on her lap. "Well, I think I'm going to head up to the tower to my dorm." She went to go stand from her chair, but Ron instinctively put his hand over her forearm before she could rise, stopping her in her tracks.

"Wait!" he said, immediately wincing at the desperation in his voice. He wasn't entirely sure where he was going with this, but for some reason he just didn't want to end their time together yet. "I was err, hoping we could hang out and talk some more. You know, since Harry's still off with my sister. I don't fancy sitting in the common room alone before going to detention with Snape." He inwardly congratulated himself at the quick excuse.

"Oh," said Hermione, looking a little surprised to hear that. "Alright, I suppose I can keep you company for a little while longer," she said, reaching for his textbook again with her right arm.

Ron caught her hand in his own though before she could open it. "Oi, no more studying!" he said amusedly as he pulled her hand away from the textbook and under the table. "I meant we could talk about something that's _not_ school related."

Hermione blushed at the sudden contact. "Oh, right…" she said shyly, darting her eyes around. A strike of confidence shot through Ron at the sight of her blush and embarrassment. He realized he was still clasping her hand in his on top of his lap with a relatively strong grip, but rather than releasing her hand completely, he simply loosened his hold on it.

"So, err… what did you do today?" he asked politely, taking the initiative to start a proper conversation.

Hermione seemed somewhat less tense at the attempt at conversation, and smiled just as politely back at him as she thought about her answer. "Well, lets see. I went to breakfast with you, Ginny and Harry. Then I went to my morning classes, which you were also in. And then I had lunch. Again, you were there," she said, a sense of amusement now prominent in her voice. "You've pretty much been around the whole day, actually."

Ron chuckled at her answer. "I suppose I have been. Except for right after our afternoon classes." Hermione laughed with him at how silly it now seemed for him to have asked her what she had done today. "Alright, fine then. What did you do in that short time frame between the end of classes and when I came and met you at the library," he asked sarcastically, not wanting to seem like a complete idiot.

"Oh, well actually I went up to the owlery to send a letter to Viktor," she said casually.

Ron instantly clenched his hand around hers at the mention of Viktor's name, and he felt his eyes roll. "Oh, _great_," he said sarcastically. "I didn't know you guys were still talking. How's he doing then?" he asked grumpily, not actually caring about how Viktor was doing. It wasn't a secret that Ron disliked the bloke.

Hermione giggled at his change of mood. "Well you don't have to sound so excited," she said sarcastically, knowing that Ron didn't care for him. "And he's doing fine. Not that you actually care," she said knowingly.

Ron laughed again. "It's like you can read my mind. Honestly! Is he still bugging you about visiting him in that god-awful country of his?" He could sense the envy in his own voice but was hoping Hermione wouldn't notice.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "He may have mentioned it again, but it's nothing to get jealous over. I'll still be staying in England for the summer," she said playfully. He wasn't sure if she could detect the jealousy in him or if she was just joking around, but either way he felt the need to defend himself.

"I'm not _jealous_," he quipped. "I just don't think you should be off with other blokes in strange countries. You belong here with us, not with him."

Hermione rolled her eyes again at him. "I _said_ I was staying, Ronald," she said, a smile still drawn upon her face.

"Well, good. Are you going to be staying at the Burrow this summer?" he asked casually. The look on her face made him instantly regret it though. Her eyes were wide and she was biting her lip, looking thoroughly confused at the question. He had asked as if it was obvious that she would be, but in reality they hadn't discussed it since because of their spat while he had been dating Lavender. At that point it had been apparent that she would not be joining them at the Burrow, but now it had been several weeks and they had been on good terms, although neither of them had brought it up.

"I mean, err… I just assumed… You don't have to of course, it's just you usually stay for a little while" he said quickly, hoping to not seem too forward.

"No – no I know," interrupted Hermione, looking a little awkward about it. "Yes, I was planning on it. Ginny's actually already invited me. I'll be going home for a few weeks first, but then I'll come to stay for a while before school." She gave him a small smile and he felt relief flush through him at hearing that she still wanted to spend parts of her summers at the Burrow with him. A few months ago she probably would have laughed in his face if he had asked if she would be staying at the Burrow for the summer.

"Brilliant," he said eagerly, giving her a big grin. She nodded and smiled back at him, the awkwardness appearing to have vanished from the conversation. "Now someone else can de-gnome the garden in my place," he said jokingly, giving her a big grin.

Hermione gave a mock gasp before laughing with him. "Absolutely not. I feel so bad for those poor, little gnomes. I can't believe you just toss them over the fence like a piece of trash! You wouldn't like that if it was you being thrown over the fence like that." She pouted for the gnomes, but there was still a sense of amusement in her face.

"That may be, but if I ever refused to de-gnome the garden it _would_ be me being thrown over the fence, courtesy of my mother," he said jokingly, though partly believing it. He certainly wouldn't be one to find out what his mother's limitations would be, that's for sure.

Hermione laughed loudly at his joke before saying "Fair enough." She smiled up at him for a while and then lowered her head to smile at their hands, still entwined together and resting on Ron's lap. He could feel her start to play with his fingers like she had before the other couple times their hands had found each other, and he smiled to himself at the contact of her finger tips tracing the palm of his hand asit sent shivers up his arm.

"That tickles," he said quietly with a small smile as he moved his eyes from her face to her fingers going round and round on the surface of his hand.

"Sorry," she responded just as quietly, though not ceasing to circle his palms.

A large amount of time went by as the two sat in the same position, both watching as Hermione traced her fingers on Ron's palm over and over again. Their foreheads were now supporting each other's weight as they looked down at their hands. All Ron could think about was how content he was to sit there in the silence with her. Rather than feeling bored or awkward, he actually felt quite fulfilled.

If his brothers or most of his friends saw him now they'd probably think he was some sort of mushy git, but he was starting to admit to himself that maybe he was. If he was being completely honest with himself, he would probably prefer Hermione's company much more than anyone else's. Even if it meant sitting here not talking about anything with her over a good game of quidditch with the boys. He wouldn't exactly say he was a romantic-type, but with Hermione he felt like he could be.

There was definitely something about Hermione that made him behave this way. He had never had similar feelings for Lavender, despite the seemingly constant snogging that she put him through. He had actually more often than not found himself wanting to be away from her. The way she clung to him had been incredibly annoying, but if Hermione were to cling to him now like she had, he would be absolutely ecstatic. He craved her touch more than anything else in the world. His feelings for her were much stronger and unlike any he had ever had for anyone else before. He was certain there had to be a reason for it.

A terrifying word popped into his head and he felt his insides clench at the thought of it. If he didn't know better, he would say he was on the brink of falling in _love_…

A sudden clearing of someone's throat tore him out of his thoughts and he snapped his head up to see Harry standing behind Hermione, looking more bashful than either of them for having intruded. As much as he loved Harry, he was quite confident that Harry was one of the biggest… moment-ruiners… on the face of the planet. He reluctantly disentangled his fingers from Hermione's as he sat up straight, only feeling slightly embarrassed at having been caught by his best mate. It had happened on so many other occasions that it hardly had any effect on him now.

Hermione meekly sat up as well, evidently a little more embarrassed by the situation than Ron. "Hello, Harry," she said, trying to keep her voice as even as possible.

"Hi," he said smugly, sliding into the seat across from her and giving them both a knowing smirk. "And what are you two up to all alone here in the library?"

Ron narrowed his eyes at him and gave him a warning look before answering "We were just working on my homework before my detention."

"Ah, I see," Harry replied, obviously enjoying the discomfort he was causing them. Ron knew he found it amusing, especially after being put through the same awkwardness on a regular basis from Ron when it came to Ginny. "Well, just thought I'd come and find you guys while I was in the area. Want to go back to the common room with me? Or would you prefer to stay here all by your _lonesome_," he asked, putting extra smugness into the last word and smirking at Ron again.

"Well actually, I have to get going to my detention. I'll walk with you guys as far as the moving staircases though, if you'd like?" He was directing the question more towards Hermione than Harry, but it was Harry who answered.

"Oh, _sure_," he said teasingly. "I'm sure we would love that. Wouldn't we, Hermione?" He and Ron both looked at Hermione who was blushing down at her knees.

"Sure, that's fine," she said plainly, trying to hide her embarrassment. Ron couldn't help but smile at the sight of her.

They got up from their table and Ron packed his things. Then they swiftly exited the library, turning down the hall to head towards the staircases and making some light chit-chat before parting ways. Ron waved goodbye to both of them before making his way down to the dungeons. To his confusion, he again saw Seamus Finnigan walking away from the dungeons, and once again he ignored Ron's friendly "Hey" before disappearing around a corner. Deciding Seamus had simply just gone insane, he continued his walk to the dungeons and tried to process what his feelings for Hermione truly were.

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Harry was sitting on the sofa near the fire in the Gryffindor common room, talking with Hermione about various things while trying to work on some of his own homework. He had apologized for making her feel uncomfortable after walking in on her and Ron's strange sort of embrace in the library, but she brushed it off and insisted there was nothing to apologize for because nothing happened between them that would cause her any sort of embarrassment. Harry knew better though, and as much as she was willing to deny it he knew something was going on between them.

The conversation had since shifted at the hand of Hermione, who evidently was not interested in talking about her relationship with Ron, something that only increased Harry's amusement with how obviously they both wanted each other. She briefly asked him how things were going with Ginny, and then she asked about any new developments on the Horcruxes he was learning about through Dumbledore. Unfortunately there hadn't been much new information to report as the subject was restricted from the regular sections of the library, and the only source for that kind of information that he had now was Dumbledore.

"It's quite genius though, isn't it?" asked Hermione, a clear sense of intrigue in her voice. "To have yourself divided and spread across the land in order to ensure you're that much more difficult to destroy."

"I suppose it is," replied Harry coldly. "But the fact that it's being put to use by _Voldemort_ makes it much more evil and dark, than genius. I don't know how Dumbledore is going to-"

"How Dumbledore's going to do what?" interrupted Seamus, plopping down in the seat on the other side of Harry on the sofa.

"Oh, err- how he's going to react when he finds out that some first years have been making fun of… his, err, his… beard! Yes, they have been making fun of his beard. Saying it looks like he stuck his face in a candyfloss machine, and what-not," he answered awkwardly, feeling slightly irritated with Seamus for having burst into his conversation like that.

"Oh?" said Seamus awkwardly. "Yeah, I suppose it does kind of look like that, doesn't it?" He laughed darkly at the resemblance before ceasing his laughter and staring at the fire with a small, distant smile.

Harry turned to look at Hermione with an arched eyebrow, only to find her giving him an identical confused look. "Anyways, I think I better head up to bed soon," he said casually, putting his books away in his bag and reaching for his quill and ink. Just as he was about to put them away, a sudden voice pierced through the silence from in front of them.

"Ron Weasley was the one who put the Imperius Curse on me," the voice said plainly.

Harry's eyes widened and his head instantly snapped ahead of him to see who had uttered such a phrase, desperately hoping it wasn't who it sounded like. The sudden reaction from Harry caused him to spill the jar of ink he had been holding in his right hand all over Seamus' pants and shirt. He barely noticed Seamus' "Oi!" as he stared at Katie Bell in front of him, unable to believe the words that had just come out of her mouth.

"What was that?" Harry asked, an astonished look on his face and tone in his voice. He could feel his blood pumping through him and his heart racing as he desperately hoped he had somehow misheard her.

Katie looked down at him with a neutral look on her face. "You said to tell you if I remember who it was that did it. Well I remembered. It was Ron Weasley." The words made it feel like his heart had dropped into his knees as he stared at her with wide eyes, unable to respond to the accusation.

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**I'm sure some of you are quite irritated with me for leaving the ending like that, but such is life! The next chapter will give you a little more insight as to where the hell that came from, so don't worry! **

**Hopefully that gave all your Romione shippers your fill as well since the past couple chapters didn't have a whole lot of them alone. The next chapter will be **_**very**_** interesting for their relationship, as well as Ron and Harry's, so hopefully you'll stick around until next week to see what's up!**

**Leave your reviews and thanks for reading! :)**

**-ArticulateFiction**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey everyone! Sorry I'm a day late. Honestly, I was just being lazy. It was Victoria Day weekend and I was out doing stuff for like 4 days straight, but I'm here now! :)**

**Thanks so much for your guys' reviews on the last chapter! And some of you were very good guessers as to why Seamus was there for Katie Bell's announcement haha! This chapter takes place directly after the last one. There's no Ron/Hermione, it's mostly all Harry/Hermione and then some Draco at the beginning. I'm sure some of you will be a little disappointed in Hermione's actions in this one as well, but I've always thought that Hermione has always been a thinker first and a lover second, or at least in the stage of her life! So keeping that in mind, hopefully you'll understand where I'm coming from.**

**Anyways, I don't want to give too much away. Enjoy, and don't forget to review and leave your suggestions! :)**

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Chapter 12:

Draco was walking through the hallways towards the Gryffindor Tower, playing his plan in his mind over and over again. He made a quick pit stop in a washroom and downed the last of his Seamus Finnigan Polyjuice potion before hastily exiting the washroom in search of Katie Bell.

Today would be the day he was going to convince Harry Potter that his best friend was a Death Eater, once and for all. Hopefully this would distract him well enough for Draco to be able to perform his deed bestowed upon him by the Dark Lord himself, and then he would not be a failure. He will have pleased Voldemort, ensuring his and his mother's safety. He will have pleased his father, ensuring he was not ostracized in the family for having been too weak to handle something like this. And he will have pleased himself, because as much as he didn't feel he wanted to kill, he still thoroughly enjoyed seeing Potter fail. Having the added bonus of a ruined life-long friendship was there as well.

He was getting closer and closer to the Gryffindor common room, when he finally spotted Katie Bell rounding the corner in front of him. He quickly ran to catch up with her, evidently catching her by surprise as she spun around to look at him. He assumed she wasn't very familiar with Seamus as she was an entire year older than him and he had never seen the two together as far as he could remember, so he quickly came up with an excuse.

"Oh, err, hey, Katie," he said awkwardly, not really knowing what to talk to her about as they continued to stroll casually down the hall.

Katie gave him a bemused look before smiling awkwardly in return and responding. "Hey…"

"I just had a err, question… about… err…" he stuttered as he spotted a broom closet coming up next in the hallway. "It was a question about err…. quidditch!" he finally said, suddenly remembering she was a chaser for the Gryffindor quidditch team.

"You have a question about… quidditch?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes… which is why I came to you about this. You know, you being a chaser and all. I couldn't help but notice how excellent your err, form was," he said awkwardly, though completely aware of how creepy it had sounded. They were almost at the broom closet as he watched her face contort at his comment.

"My _form_?" she asked, sounding a little uneasy as to where the conversation might be going.

"Yes…" he replied just as awkwardly, getting prepared for his next move. "I've been watching you play lately and I have always wanted the position of chaser, so I was wondering if maybe you could give me a few pointers for next year-"

He suddenly opened and shoved Katie through the door of the broom closet, causing her to gasp and topple over at the sudden contact. She tried to catch the ground underneath her feet before whipping around to face him again, only to come face to face with Draco's wand. "WHA-"

"_Imperio_," he whispered, as he watched his wand light up the darkened room and Katie's face immediately neutralize under the curse.

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Draco was now standing in the common room, behind his nemesis Harry Potter, still disguised as Seamus Finnigan. He had used the Imperius curse to have Katie Bell admit to Potter that it had been Weasley who had used the same curse on her earlier in the year. He was hoping to Merlin this would work, because he was running out of ideas. If this didn't go off without a hitch, Harry would probably focus even more of his time trying to figure out what was going on, and that simply was not an option. He listened intently to Harry's conversation with Hermione, suddenly hearing something that may be of use to him.

"….I don't know how Dumbledore is going to-"

"How Dumbledore's going to do what?" he asked eagerly, plopping down in the seat on the other side of Harry on the sofa. Any information on Dumbledore might prove to be useful for him soon enough.

Harry quickly turned to look at him with raised eyebrows. "Oh, err- how he's going to react when he finds out that some first years have been making fun of… his, err, his… beard! Yes, they have been making fun of his beard. Saying it looks like he stuck his face in a candyfloss machine, and what-not," he answered awkwardly. Draco took this to mean that whatever it was he was really talking about wasn't something he was even willing to share with Seamus. He wasn't sure how close Harry and Seamus were, but he had hoped it would be close enough to discuss certain things of that nature. Apparently this was something worth hiding, though.

"Oh?" he said awkwardly, though still fairly certain that Harry was lying. "Yeah, I suppose it does kind of look like that, doesn't it?" He then started laughing as the thought of Dumbledore sticking his winkled old face in a candyfloss machine popped into his head. As much as he didn't want to be the one to kill Dumbledore, he still enjoyed poking fun at the elderly wizard. He had always felt that Dumbledore had somewhat favoured Harry Potter and his Gryffindor friends, and for that reason he had always held some resentment for the old man.

He was suddenly torn from his mental images of Dumbledore using his face as a candyfloss holder when Katie Bell walked into the scene, standing directly in front of their sofa and looking down at Harry. He could feel his heart beat instantly quicken as he desperately hoped she wouldn't somehow mess this up again. He had a lot riding on this and he wouldn't be particularly pleased if he was nearly found out again thanks to this useless girl.

"Anyways, I think I better head up to bed soon," Harry said casually, putting his books away in his bag and reaching for his quill and ink, still completely unaware of Katie's presence. Draco waited in desperation for her to speak, hoping she would sound convincing enough to not appear to be under a curse. Finally, after what felt like forever, she spoke directly towards Harry, her eyes never leaving the top of his head.

"Ron Weasley was the one who put the Imperius Curse on me," she said plainly, her voice void of any sort of emotion. Draco could feel himself cringe at the extreme lack of emotion in her expression, hoping that it wouldn't be evident she was under a curse. Suddenly remembering who he was supposed to be behaving like, he opened his mouth in forced shock at the statement, acting as though he had never seen it coming.

Harry's eyes widened and his head instantly snapped ahead of him at Katie's shocking accusation. The sudden reaction from Harry caused him to spill the jar of ink he had been holding in his right hand all over Draco's pants and shirt.

"Oi!" shouted Draco, looking down at his now stained uniform. He quickly glanced over at Harry to see his reaction, but his frustration drained away and was replaced by a sense of relief to see a sort of disbelief in Harry's face.

"What was that?" Harry asked with an astonished tone to his voice, apparently unaware of the spilled ink that was now seeping through Draco's uniform.

Katie looked down at him with a neutral look on her face. "You said to tell you if I remember who it was that did it. Well I remembered. It was Ron Weasley."

Draco was now desperately waiting to hear Harry's reply, his heart beat increasing in speed as he sat on the edge of seat, along with a few other students who had heard the accusation. He watched as Harry stared up at her with an open mouth, unaware of how to respond to such a thing, and Hermione's eyes widened as she too waited for Harry's reaction.

Finally, after several long seconds passed between the silent group of students, Harry shook his head slowly, his eyes still staring into Katie's. "No," he said firmly, still shaking his head.

The other students remained silent, and Draco could feel a sudden surge of panic strike through him as he sat, desperately trying to think of something to say. Harry wasn't buying it. Katie continued to stare down at him, as she was still under the curse and unable to add any input of her own to the conversation.

Draco watched as Hermione stared at Harry in disbelief, appearing to be reluctant about Harry's answer. "Harry?" she asked quietly, as Harry turned his head away from Katie and towards her.

"No. I won't believe it," he said sternly, turning his head back to Katie before continuing. "I think you're mistaken, Katie. I'm sorry, but I really do. Maybe you should think about it some more, because I'm certain Ron had nothing to do with any of this." His eyes pierced through hers as if waiting to hear her rebuttal, but to Draco's horror she simply walked away and out of the common room. He had no idea where she was going as she was still under the curse, but she had technically fulfilled what Draco had asked of her.

The few students that were standing around them quickly began whispering amongst each other as Hermione stared at Harry with questioning eyes. Draco's panic was increasing as he sat there, unsure of what to do now. Deciding he needed to say something, he leaned in towards Harry.

"Harry, how can you say she's wrong if nobody saw who it was that did it except for her?" he asked confusedly.

Harry turned to look at him and said simply "Because Ron would never do something like this." Draco could only stare at him as he felt panic and anger pump through his veins at the thought of being found out. How is it that after all of this, he would still take that stupid Weasley's side? Was he stupid? Harry then looked down at Draco's lap, and his eyes widened at the mess he had not noticed he had made. "Oh, sorry about that, mate," he said apologetically, quickly picking up his now empty jar of ink from the sofa and putting it away.

"Oh…" said Draco grimly, snapping out of his panicked state of mind. "It's alright." He then stood up and made his way for the exit, inwardly cursing himself and Katie Bell for the whole attempt at corrupting Harry Potter's mind. He couldn't believe that even after an admission from Katie herself that it had been Ron, Harry would still stand by him. Evidently he was going to have to come up with another plan, and hopefully nobody would find out about this whole failure of an event .

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Hermione was staring at Harry in complete disbelief, unable to process what had just passed. The students that had overheard Katie's accusation were now scattered around the common room, no doubt gossiping about what they heard, and Katie had left the room without another word. She barely noticed Seamus standing up and walking away as she tried to understand what reasoning Harry had for being so sure that Katie was mistaken.

"Harry?" she asked again solemnly, unable to contain her curiosity any longer. He stopped packing his things and turned to look at her with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah?" he said, still packing his things away into his bag.

Hermione stared at him in disbelief again at how casually he was behaving after what had just happened. "How can you be sure?" she finally asked quietly.

Harry immediately stopped his packing and sat up properly to look at Hermione, his eyebrows furrowed and a frown suddenly strewn upon his face at her question. "How can I be sure of what?" he asked irritably, although Hermione was fairly certain he knew exactly what she was asking about.

Hermione swallowed thickly before answering him. "How can you be so sure that he's innocent after Katie herself just admitted it was him?" She felt terribly for needing to ask, but she had to know what the reason for it was in order to give her some peace of mind.

Harry continued to glare at her before finally shaking his head. "Are you saying you doubt that it _wasn't_ him?" he asked angrily, taking Hermione a little by surprise. She didn't understand why he was all of a sudden getting upset at the question, as he had been the one accusing Ron of things a couple of weeks ago.

"Of course I'm not saying he did it, but I want to know how you can be so sure without any other proof at all. Especially after you found those papers and the things Draco said to you a while back," she said as casually as possible, trying to not upset him any further.

Harry stared at her now with a relatively shocked expression on his face. "I can't believe you'd even need to ask me that," he said astonishingly. "You can't seriously tell me that you're going to let this one incident change your trust in Ron."

Hermione felt her mouth gape at his answer, feeling a little hurt by his obvious tone. It was as if he had done a complete 180 since a couple weeks ago when he had been suspicious of Ron himself. She found it to be very hypocritical and she felt a sudden surge of anger pump through her at being made to look like the bad guy for asking a simple, reasonable question.

"Harry, are you forgetting _you_ were having the same doubts in Ron a couple weeks ago? And you were given far less reason to suspect him, I might add," she said angrily, her arms instinctively folding across her chest.

A sense of outrage flickered behind his eyes before he snapped back at her "Well things are different now! I was letting all this Death Eater and horcrux stuff make me paranoid, and I won't be making that mistake again. I trust Ron with everything, and I trust that he would never turn on us or anyone else non-deserving of it. He said he had nothing to do with it, and that's all I need to believe him. I'm not going to let this ruin our friendship again."

"So we're just going to ignore this then?" Hermione snapped back, unable to wrap her head around what Harry was saying to her. She didn't want Ron to have anything to do with it as much as Harry did, but this was not something she could just ignore. She had nearly complete faith in Ron, but something so major wasn't going to just go away.

"Yes, that's exactly what we're going to do," Harry said matter-of-factly. "She's not telling the truth, Hermione! She's either, for whatever reason, lying to us, or she's mistaken. We need to trust Ron."

Hermione was starting to feel guilty for having to keep pressing this issue with Harry, but what reason would Katie have for lying? She didn't feel like Katie _would_ have a reason for lying, but if she did they needed to figure out why she would lie about this. She hated to admit to herself that a small, minscule part of her was also not entirely sure that she could trust Ron enough to just let this go like Harry could after everything that had been happening involving Ron.

"Harry," she said sadly, her voice thick with all sorts of conflicting emotions as she thought about how terrible she was for needing to do this. "I can't let this go like you can. I wish I could have as much faith and trust in Ron as you do, but I don't think I can just let this go without any explanation. What reason would Katie have for lying? I'm not saying Ron did it, but I really feel like we need to double check and see if maybe-"

"Hermione, I'm not doing this again!" he cut in harshly, his hand held up in a gesture to let her know to stop talking. "I _can't_. I promised Ron that I would trust him, no matter what. And I do."

"Harry," she pleaded, reaching out to hold his hand. "Do you remember when you asked me to help you figure out why Ron had those papers in his trunk? I didn't want to, but you needed peace of mind in knowing that Ron had no intention of ever using those curses written on those papers. And as much as it pained me to doubt Ron that way, I agreed to help you, for your sake." She watched as Harry's expression softened, and she could tell she was getting through to him. "And now here we are, and Katie _herself_ has just said it was Ron who did this to her. I know you don't want to doubt him, but I won't be able to sleep at night knowing that she's either trying to frame Ron, or god forbid, that she's not mistaken, and that it was Ron." She winced at the last statement, and she hated herself for needing this for her own selfish reasons.

"Hermione…" Harry said softly, a sympathetic tone to his voice. "I know I put you through that and it's probably my fault that you're having these doubts now since I put it into your head to begin with, but I don't think I can help you. Don't you think you can just trust him? Please?"

"I want to, Harry, I really do!" Hermione pleaded again. "But the possibility of Ron having done it is not my only concern here. I'm _nearly_ confident it wasn't him, which means that it's also possible that someone is trying to frame him. Don't you want to know what's going on?" She watched as Harry went deep in thought about what she was saying. Finally, he looked up at her with a saddened expression.

"Alright," he said reluctantly. "I agree, someone may be trying to frame him if it wasn't him, which I still believe it wasn't. So maybe we should be looking into why someone would be doing this to him. But I don't feel comfortable doing this without his knowledge and participation. Is that fine with you?"

Hermione contemplated what he was asking, and then slowly nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, that's fine. He deserves to know what's being said about him," she said quietly as she thought about how upset he would be when he heard what would soon be going around the school.

"Alright, good," Harry said definitively as he finished packing his things and rose from his spot on the sofa. "I'll talk to him about it tonight when he gets back from his detention, alright?"

Hermione nodded in agreement, but something inside of her needed to ask one more thing of Harry before she could let this go. "Harry?" Harry looked down at her with a knowing look, almost as if he knew that she wouldn't be able to let this go entirely.

"Can you do me one favour?" she asked sweetly, desperately hoping he would grant her this one sin. It would certainly make her feel a lot better about the whole situation.

Harry continued to stare at her in silence, questioning her with his eyes as he waited for her to ask what it was that she wanted from him. Hermione could feel her stomach clench under his knowing gaze as she bit her lip before asking her favour. "Do you think I could take a look around your dorm?"

Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head at her question. "Hermione!" he snapped, still shaking his head and avoiding meeting her pleading eyes.

"Harry, I promise you don't have to do anything! Just let me look around for a few minutes, that's all I'm asking. It'll make me feel so much better," she said hurriedly.

Harry stared at the wall in front of him before clicking his tongue against his teeth and closing his eyes. "Fine," he said coldly, clearly unimpressed with her blatant distrust in Ron. She felt even more guiltier, but she needed this. "You can come up and take a look around, _quickly_, if that's what will make you stop bugging me about this. But if Ron finds out I am going to make it perfectly clear that I had absolutely nothing to do with this, and that I trusted him one hundred percent. As I _should_ do." His last sentence was a clear hit at Hermione's lack of confidence and trust in Ron, and she could feel her guilt increase tenfold as she stared down at her feet and nodded her head.

"Alright, fair enough," she said plainly, feeling more and more like a bad person for having to do this for her own selfish peace of mind. She grabbed her bag and stood up, avoiding Harrys glare at the back of her head as they walked up the stairs and to his and Ron's dorm.

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Harry was now lying on his bed, angrily staring up at the ceiling as he listened to Hermione riffle through Ron's things. He couldn't believe she was doing this. He knew on some level that she probably felt just as terrible as he had when he had questioned Ron about those papers a couple weeks ago, but he still felt that she was in the wrong here.

He would admit that Katie Bell specifically fingering Ron for having used the Imperius Curse on her, especially after finding the Imperius Cure instructions in Ron's trunk a while ago, seemed suspicious. But after the heart-to-heart conversation he had had with Ron last week, he wasn't going to let any of it sway his trust in Ron. Ron was his best friend and he was going to stand by him, no matter what. And if someone was out trying to frame him, he was going to help Ron figure out who it was that was doing this to him.

The door to their dorm suddenly burst open, and he sat up quickly to see who it was as Hermione jumped from her current position of searching under Ron's bed and casually crossed her arms behind her back. Seamus looked somewhat surprised to be seeing Hermione in their dorm, but he nodded politely at her and then at Harry before making his way over to his trunk.

"Hey, guys," he said casually as he opened his trunk and began searching through his things.

"Hey, mate, sorry again for the ink downstairs," Harry apologized, remembering how he had been so oblivious to spilling ink all over Seamus' uniform. "At least you were able to clean the stain without catching your pants on fire though," he added with a small chuckle. Seamus was well known for blowing the occasional thing up with his magic, and the lads often teased him about it.

Seamus then pulled his head out of his trunk and was now holding some sort of textbook as he looked at Harry with a confused look and an arched eyebrow. "What are you talking about, mate?" he asked as he closed the trunk and made his way for the door.

"The ink I spilled on you downstairs? When Katie Bell made her accusation?" he asked with an obvious tone to his voice. Surely he hadn't already forgotten? It had only been about 30 minutes ago.

"Sorry, mate, I think you spilled on some other bloke. I missed the whole Katie Bell thing," he said casually as he opened the door. "But what do you think of her accusing Ron, oi? Everyone downstairs is talking about it," he asked, waiting for Harry's answer before leaving.

"Oh, well it's err… it's not true," he finally pushed out, still confused by Seamus' apparent amnesia to having been sitting there through it all. "It's not true at all. Ron had nothing to do with it, and you should spread that around."

"Well, that's good then," he said relieved, giving him a big grin. "I was a little worried there; you know living in the same dorm as him and all. I guess it's just gossip, then," he said as he finally walked out the door and closed it behind him.

Harry immediately looked to Hermione, who was already looking at him with her own confused expression. "What does he mean he wasn't there?" she asked curiously, walking over to the other side of Ron's bed, the side closest to Harry's, and sitting down on it.

Harry shook his head. "I don't know," he replied. "I think he's gone a little batty," he said with a small laugh. Hermione continued to stare into the distance over Harry's shoulder though, her mind apparently lost in thought as she bit her lip.

"Maybe," she said. "Or maybe, it wasn't him that was down there with us," she added, a suspicious tone to her voice as she turned to look at Harry again.

Harry's eyes narrowed at her as he contemplated this. "What do you mean?"

"Well he was acting a little, out of character if you will, when we were down there," she started. "And we _know_ he, or at least someone who looked like him, was sitting next to us on that couch when Katie accused Ron. What if it wasn't the real Seamus though?"

Harry's eyes widened at the theory. "Well who would be parading around disguised as Seamus?" he asked curiously. "And how can we be sure that the Seamus who just walked in here now wasn't actually an imposter?"

"I'm not sure," said Hermione, biting her lip once more as she thought hard about it. "Or maybe there's a reason for why he doesn't remember being there," she said. "Maybe something happened to him or his memory. It's very suspicious though," she said, looking down at the table beside Ron's bed. Her eyes suddenly narrowed and a small smile broke across her face as she reached down and picked up a picture of the three of them from first year that Ron had always kept on his bedside table.

"I didn't know he had this here," she said amusedly as she stared at the picture of the three of them in their seemingly too big uniforms, smiling and huddling together for the photo.

Harry smiled. "Yep. He's had it there for as long as I can remember. He never puts it away, no matter how many times I've begged him to," he said with a small laugh. It really was embarrassing to have a picture of you as a child being showcased to the whole dorm all the time, but he was secretly touched that Ron kept the picture and insisted on keeping it by his bed after all these years.

"Hm," she replied, still smiling down at it. "Even when we were fighting?" she asked suddenly, catching Harry a little off guard. He didn't want to let too much slip out.

"Err, yep," he said simply, making sure to omit the fact that he had actually witnessed Ron staring longingly at the picture nearly every night that he and Hermione had been fighting earlier this year.

"Oh," she said quietly, suddenly seeming sad about something. She carefully placed the picture frame back down on Ron's table before looking at Harry. "I think I've made a mistake by coming up here," she finally said, biting her lip again.

Harry gave her a small, knowing smile before nodding at her. He was happy to see that something about that picture made he realize that Ron would never do any of the things he had been accused of over the past couple weeks. "It's alright, we all make mistakes," he replied, reminded of his similar mistake he had made a couple of weeks ago.

Hermione smiled at him and nodded before looking back to the picture with cloudy eyes. "I don't know how I let myself get caught up in any of this. Of course Ron would never do these things, Harry!" she said, her eyes a little teary as she stared at the photo. "I've been so stupid."

"Hey," said Harry gently, standing up to sit beside her on Ron's bed and putting one arm around her shoulders. "You aren't stupid, Hermione. It was just… a moment of weakness. As long as you understand now that he would never, then it'll be fine. We don't need to tell him about this incident."

Hermione nodded sadly and then looked up at him with a small smile. "Alright. I trust him, and I trust you. Promise."

"Good," replied Harry with a smile, feeling immensely relieved at hearing her say that. The three of them had suffered far too many trials this year in their friendships, and he didn't want it to happen again.

Hermione then stood from the bed, smiling at the picture once more before walking towards the bathroom. "I'm just going to use the loo and then we can go back down to the common room and figure out how to convince all those gossipers that it wasn't Ron," she said with a roll of her eyes. Harry nodded and moved back onto his own bed as she closed the door to the bathroom.

The thoughts were swirling in his head as he questioned why someone would want to frame Ron for anything, and why Katie Bell would go along with it. What would anyone gain from doing this to Ron? The only thing that came out of this entire situation was a nearly broken friendship between him and Ron, and some doubts that Hermione had also had in him. And now there was a whole common room downstairs that believed Ron to have used one of the Unforgivable Curses on Katie Bell, which would soon spread across the school. He supposed that whoever did this was trying to take the heat off of who actually performed the spell on Katie, meaning there was a good chance that whoever it did it _was_ the person who performed the curse on Katie. If they could get any leads at all, it would definitely help that mystery.

Hermione then exited the bathroom and walked towards the door. "Alright, well I think I'm going to head back down, if you'd like to join me," she said. Harry nodded in agreement and stood up from his position on his bed, walking over to the door and reaching for the doorknob. As he was about to turn it, he saw the knob was already being turned beneath his hand and he inwardly started panicking at who it could be this time. Hermione's eyes were wide and she stood directly behind the door as it opened, hiding her so long as the door stayed opened.

Harry was now face to face with Ron, who had jumped a little at how close Harry was to him when he opened the door. "Oi, mate, you scared me!" he said with a grin. Of _course _it was Ron. This was just his luck. Harry could instantly feel his heart rate quicken as he tried to figure out how he was going to get Hermione out of the dorm without Ron noticing.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

**Oh no! Will Hermione be able to escape? :o**

**Perhaps. You will have to come by next Tuesday to find out. It will definitely be a verrrrry important chapter for Ron/Hermione, that's for sure. And I'm going to be squeezing in some Ginny in the next chapter as well, for obvious reasons. **

**Leave your reviews and comments, and thanks for reading! :)**

**-ArticulateFiction**


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